eNorth(1 March from Hong Kong): PM 1:00, "2001 Tianjin Week in Hong Kong--Wanlong Cup Dragon boat Game" started in Sha Tin Gates and Waters. 39 dragon boat teams with over 1000 players took part in the three hours' hot competition. Vice-mayor Wang Shuzu attended the opening ceremony and gave a congratulatory speech. Officials of HKSAR Leisure & Cultural Services Department, Chairman of Hong Kong Dragon Boat Association, relevant department leaders, involved universities presidents of three places (Tianjin, Hong Kong and Macau) and related entrepreneurs also attended the ceremony and watched the game.

36 teams separately took part in College Championship, Firm Championship, Open Championship, Mixed Championship and Three Place Women's Friendly Game. In those teams, the most powerful are the college student teams from Tianjin, Hong Kong and Macau, who are the main forces in this game.

After the hot competition, Tianjin Medical University lately ran and then surpassed other teams to win the champion in the College Championship, who was with Tianjin Institute of Physical Education, Tianjin Nankai University to sweep the first three positions in the College Championship. This result made the people who preferred native teams be very surprising. Tianjin Women could also compare men. The dragon boat team of Tianjin Normal University was also a spot in the game. Their light-pink sportswear created all-new competitor player figures, which were the most beautiful and excited the whole game place. The Tianjin Normal University was only inferior than Woo Island Dragon River Dragon Boat Team who is the world champion. In the game, the women team of Tianjin Normal University leaded for several times and then was surpassed by competitor. At last, it is very pity that they got the second. Besides these, the team titled with "Wuxinmao Group", which composed by the students of Tianjin Institute of Physical Education, also won the first in the Firm Championship.

Dragon boat game is a Chinese old traditional festival activity and now has been a global race competition. Tianjin has almost 100 years in the dragon boat game and is an important city for dragon boat in North China. And Hong Kong is an international center of dragon boat game, which is introduced to the world here. The dragon boat game among Tianjin Hong Kong and Macau will benefit to the north-south exchange in this sport game and will let three places public people have opportunities to develop the friendship among them.

Background Knowledge: The Origin of Dragon boat Game

The dragon boat game originated from the War-Kingdoms Time, 2000 years ago. At that time, there is a kingdom named "Chu" in South China. Its administration was very corruptive. An patriotic poet, Qu Yuan, was framed by slanderous officials and was banished by the king. He worried about his motherland and detested these slanderous people. At last, he jumped into the Mi Luo Jiang River in Hunan Province.

The local people were all moved by Qu Yuan's spirit. They drove their boat to the river, used the oars to stir the water and beat the drums and gongs to disperse the creatures in the river. Their behaviors are to prevent Qu Yuan's body from being eaten. People also wanted to find his body, but they failed at last.

Now Dragon boat Race has been developed into a formal sport game and has occupied important positions in many countries' sport programs.

The modern dragon boat is made of teak. Length:11.6m Width:1m Depth:43cm

(Zhang Huijun and Wang Wei)