He majors in sports training and has watched dragon boat raced since childhood in his hometown of Shanwei, Guangdong province.

"Dragon boat sports represent the spirit of fighting relentlessly, and encourage me to tackle any difficulty in life and study. It's important for Chinese youngsters to carry on such old traditions," he said.

Contestant Cai Ruoyu, 20, from the Chengyi University College team at Jimei University, said the paddling techniques for dragon boat racing and tug-of-war are different, and they often practice both in training.

"I exercise my body and cultivate my mind via dragon boat sports," he said.

He's from Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, where the locals are enthusiastic about dragon boat racing. He said the annual celebration there is grand, and it's a tradition to watch the races with family.