As Dragon Boat Festival draws near, a series of traditional activities are held at SYSU to celebrate the occasion.

The dragon boat race is the highlight of the Dragon Boat Festival. 69 student teams from 25 faculties are competing in the fierce waters of the 2025 Sun Yat-sen (SYSU) Dragon Boat Race at SYSU Zhuhai Campus on April 26, marking the first time Zhuhai Campus hosts the event and kicking off a new century of SYSU's dragon boat legacy.

Before the race commenced, a traditional "dragon eye dotting" ceremony was held, with vermillion painted on the dragon heads, while participants chanted blessings for communal prosperity, unity, and physical well-being.

A "Dragon eye dotting" ceremony is held.

After two hours of fierce competition, Zhongshan Medical School won both the women's and mixed group championships, while the School of Environmental Science and Engineering claimed the men's title.

The competition is in full swing.

Since 2007, the Dragon Boat Race at SYSU has grown from 60 to more than 1,000 participants, becoming a cultural powerhouse.

As the first university in the Lingnan region (encompassing Guangdong and its surrounding areas) to introduce dragon boat sports, SYSU founded its dragon boat team in 2003 and made dragon boat a public elective course in 2007. In recent years, the team has secured numerous honors in various dragon boat competitions, demonstrating its prominence in promoting the sport.

In addition to the dragon boat race, various schools of SYSU organized vibrant activities incorporating traditional Dragon Boat Festival customs, such as crafting herbal sachets (fragrant pouches) and wrapping zongzi (sticky rice dumplings).

The School of Foreign Languages organized a zongzi-wrapping event for staff and students on May 29. International students and faculty actively took part in the zongzi-wrapping activity, experiencing traditional Chinese culture.

Staff and students are participating in the zongzi-wrapping activity.

SYSU’s vibrant Dragon Boat Festival activities have offered students rich opportunities to immerse themselves in the charm of traditional Chinese culture. Through customs ranging from herbal sachet crafting to zongzi-making and competitive races, the university has created the perfect stage for young minds to connect with centuries-old traditions while embracing the values of unity and perseverance at the heart of the festival.