Shekou dragon boat race draws expats, spectators

Video by Liu Xudong

The Houhai River in Shekou was lined with enthusiastic spectators along its banks as early as 7:30 a.m. yesterday, even though the fourth Houhai River Dragon Boat Race would not start for another hour and a half.

The Globe Trotters, the champions of the race in 2022, managed to make it into the final despite being defeated by very competitive first-round rivals by a nose.

The Globe Trotters members pose for a group photo. Photos by Liu Xudong unless otherwise stated

“I do have high expectations here,” said Jorieke of the Netherlands, who was racing with the Global Trotters for the third year running. She has lived in Shenzhen for seven years.

An international schoolteacher who preferred to be called by her first name, Jorieke was an experienced dragon boat racer competing with the Globe Trotters in the Houhai race, holding a different position in the team. The Globe Trotters have paddlers from various countries such as the U.S., Germany, the U.K., Italy, Sweden, Pakistan and Brazil.

Emergency rescuers pull rowers with the Globe Trotters out of the water after their boat lost balance while turning around.

According to Jorieke, she was the drummer last year, and the year before, she was a rower. “This time, I am with Sparkles [Kymmberli of the U.S.] as the pacers,” she said.

The pacer is an important role in helping win a dragon boat race, which is more about synchronization among the fellow rowers. “Not being a rower, I did everything I could [in the first round],” said she. “But in the end, it’s all about fun.”

Members of a rowing team from Shekou during the race.

The race has been organized by Shekou Subdistrict Office to celebrate the traditional Dragon Boat Festival, which is observed on the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese lunar calendar. It will fall on June 8 this year.

To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, a Sino-French Friendship team was formed to compete in the event. The team had five French nationals living in Shekou and five Chinese paddlers who are employees of Shekou Subdistrict Office.

It was a “happy” experience for Francois Maurice of the Sino-French Friendship team, who had participated in another rowing race in Dashahe River last year.

“Today we raced well, although it’s tiring,” said Maurice, who has lived in Shekou for 11 years. Although Maurice and his fellow rowers lost their balance and fell in the final, “we had some fun, and that’s the most important.”

Rowers with the Sino-French Friendship team (in white T-shirts) and the Globe Trotters (in orange-yellow T-shirts) pose for a photo with staffers of Shekou Management and Service Center for Expats after the first round of the race. Wei Jie

French artist Katell Lozach was a first-time rower in the Sino-French team. “I’m happy that we won the first race and I enjoyed it a lot,” said Lozach, who missed the previous editions of the dragon boat event as she had been out of town for work during that time. “I’m happy that I am finally part of the tradition. I know that it [the dragon boat race] is an important part of the traditional festival.”

It has been one of the long-held customs to paddle for the Dragon Boat Festival, along with others like making and eating zongzi.

Members of the Sino-French Friendship team react after winning the first race. Wei Jie

“We’d like to get our expat residents involved in the Dragon Boat Festival celebrations and have an immersive experience of the charming traditional Chinese culture, while enriching their life in Shekou,” said Yang Yan, director of Shekou Management and Service Center for Expats (SMSCE), which helped organize expat residents to compete in the race.

Shekou Subdistrict has been known for its largest expat population in Shenzhen, being home to more than 8,000 foreign residents from over 100 countries, according to official statistics.

The Wanxia Chaoyue team in action during the fourth Houhai River Dragon Boat Race in Shekou, Nanshan District, yesterday.

SMSCE was set up June 28, 2017, with an aim to help expats better integrate into the local community and adapt to life away from home. Three years later in September 2020, the SMSCE set up a nonprofit legal service platform — Shekou Foreign Legal Assistance Center — to provide legal and notary services to expats.

Expat and local spectators watch the final race on the banks. 

Over the years, SMSCE has worked to expand its services from providing expats’ temporary residence registration forms to cover various issues related to expats’ needs such as applying for visas, work permits and a driver’s license, pet registration and organizing cross-cultural activities.

Shekou was selected as one of the first batch of 20 international blocks by Shenzhen Municipal Foreign Affairs Office in 2022.