Pull together in the boat race and stand together regardless of the situation. As one of the most important activities in the 100th anniversary of Tongji University, the 2007 “Yalong Industry Cup” Suzhou River in Shanghai Dragon-boat Invitation Game kicked off on 2pm, April 22nd in the rainy 250 meter-long waters from Putuo Jiangnin road Bridge to Canghua road Bridge. The race, also known as College Students Dragon-boat Race for students across the Taiwan straits, Hongkong and Macao, was held by the City Sports Bureau, the Putuo Government and our university. After about one hour’s fierce competition, our school team and the one from Second Attached Middle School won the first prizes of college group and high school group respectively.
There were 36 teams taking part in the dragon-boat race. Apart from teams in organs, towns, companies and high schools in Putuo District, as well as brother districts and counties, other provincial teams, there were another 15 college students teams from 16 universities across the Taiwan District, Hongkong and Macao. They were: Tongji University, the regiment of Beijing University and Qinghua University, Nankai University, Xi’an Jiaotong University,Wuhan Unviersity, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiaotong University, East China Normal University, Ocean University of China, Hongkong Polytechnic University, Hongkong University of Science & Techonology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Macao Polytechnic Institute, Taiwan Feng Chia University and Donghai University.
The small lightsome dragon-boats were used in this race. There were 12 people in each boat, including 10 rowers and one drummer in the fore and one helmsman in the stern. All the participants were classified into six groups: namely, college group, high school group, public group (other provicial teams), district and county group, compancy group, organ and toen group, all the 12 teams competing fiercely on the Suzhou River. There were 3 teams competing each time from the starting point Jiangninglu Bridge. We had 300 students together as a cheering squad cheered loundly for our school team.
It was raining all that afternoon when the race took place. All the team members, encouraged by the cheering, tried their best to move forward as fast as they could, with their raincoats on. According to the regulations, every group would have three prizes. The first three prizes for the college group were: Tongji Uniersity, Macao Polytechnic Institute and Hongkong Polytechnic University.
During the process of the race, both sides of Suzhou River were crowded with viewers holding colourful umbrellas and in diversial raincoats. Residents in Zhongyuan Liangwancheng watched the race in their balconies. From 2.00pm to 3:15pm, News Channel from Shanghai Television Station gave a live broadcast for the whole process of the race.
During the performance before the opening ceremony of the dragon-boat race, our school folk music group gave a wonderful performance of the new folk music Vital Youth and the chorus sung the Tongji’s Anthem. Students from Shanghai Normal University and Shanghai Sports Institute were invited to give wonderful performances in singing, dancing and martial arts.
