On July 12, the Dragon Boat Race of the 17th Guangdong Provincial Games kicked off in Xinyi, a county-level city in western Guangdong's Maoming. South invited a team of international vloggers to watch the race.
"I really like the vibes of today's competition," said Canadian vlogger Filipchenko Kseniia. "It's actually my second time watching dragon boat races, and I really like how teams are preparing and how everyone is cheering for them."
Reflecting on cultural preservation, she said, "I cannot imagine it abroad because I think there are fewer and fewer traditions and cultural activities abroad, but China preserves its traditions really well. That's why we see these competitions every year."
After watching the thrilling races, the vloggers decided to take on the challenge themselves. They boarded a dragon boat and paddled alongside local Chinese teammates.
For these international visitors, the dragon boat race was more than just a sport; it was a vivid lesson in teamwork and an immersive taste of China's time-honored traditions.
American vlogger Krishna Marque Buoy described the experience as tiring but rewarding. "It was exhausting, but it was really cool to be part of the team and experience their tradition and culture together."
Ukrainian vlogger Alina Ovsiienko found the whole journey unforgettable. "I only watched dragon boat races from the sidelines before, never getting to take part. But today I really took part in it. So for me, it was just very exciting," she said.
When asked what impressed her most about the training, she said, "When you do something alone, it can be very hard and slow. But as a team, you can move way faster. What's important about teamwork is that if everyone works together as one, intentionally, you can really go far and fast in life."
She also expressed gratitude for the patience of her Chinese teammates. "They were very helpful and very patient. They taught us every single movement very carefully. After a while, I felt like I was a member of the team, so it was just very good."
Reporter | Chen Jinxia
Video, cover design & photo | Guo Hongda
Li Zhenjie also contributed to the article.
