Testing the depths of their character

A course for success

To Ji Jingcheng, the chief coach of Nankai University's dragon boat team, the sport is a great way to toughen up college students.

"To be frank, it's an arduous process for these boaters to take the demanding monotonous training sessions and intense races, "says Ji. "However, for today's young people who grow up in a time of plenty, dragon boating can help to toughen and educate them outside the classroom."

He adds that as many students are an only child, it's a good opportunity for them to collaborate and compete with their peers.

There are more than 70 team members between 18 to 27 years old in the current dragon boat team of Nankai University. Ji says, if possible, they would like to officially set up a dragon boating course.

Problems, like lack of financial support and professional coaches, do prevent dragon boating from being embraced by more students, but some universities are encouraging the sport. For example, last April, Zhejiang University initiated an elective dragon boating course and more than 600 students jostled to sign up. To better serve them, the university also sought to cooperate with local government for the opportunity to practice boating on public waterways, such as on the Yuhangtang River.