China News Service, Xiamen, June 4 (Reporter Yan Xu) "'Cross-strait together, go all out', which means that this team is a team of young people from Taiwan and the mainland, and everyone is on the same boat with all their strength."

　　On June 3, the Dragon Boat Festival, at the 2022 Dragon Boat Race across the Taiwan Strait, dragon boat rower Martha from Taiwan explained the team's slogan to reporters.

On the same day, the Xiamen Taiwan Association Xiamen University Taiwan Youth League Team won the fifth place in the women's group in the finals.

　　Masha said that in her hometown of Pingtung, Taiwan, the people also attach great importance to the traditional folk activities of the Dragon Boat Festival, such as boating dragon boats and eating zongzi, which are no different from those in the mainland.

But in the past, she did not find the Dragon Boat Festival interesting.

"Because I do the same thing every year, eat rice dumplings and watch dragon boats. But this time I'm in it, this feeling is so special!" Masha said excitedly.

　　Martha, who has just started her business in the mainland for more than a year, was invited by the Xiamen Taiwan Association to sign up for the competition.

Although she usually likes sports, dragon boating is still a big challenge for her, which is a test of explosiveness, endurance and collaboration.

However, she had the opportunity to compete with young friends from both sides of the strait. She said that everyone was in the same boat and the training process was full of joy.

　　The team consists of half Taiwanese youths and half mainland youths, some of whom are from Xiamen University, and some who have already started their own businesses.

After a month of practice, the team members not only cooperated tacitly, but also forged a deep friendship, and made an agreement to "stay together for 15 years".

　　In the past few days, the drums on the Jimei dragon boat pool were thundering, and the dragon boats competed to cut through the water. The rowers struggled to lower their waists and lift the oars to break the water in line with the rhythm of the drums.

Like the Xiamen Taiwan Association Xiamen University Taiwan Youth League, many dragon boat teams are composed of compatriots from both sides of the strait, vividly interpreting the "helping each other in the same boat".

During the "Our Festival Dragon Boat Festival" cross-strait dragon boat battle, people caught ducks in the water, which was full of fun.

Photo by Yan Xu

　　Called by the Social Work Service Center for Taiwan Compatriots in Jimei District, Xiamen, the rowers of the Haili·Taiwan Compatriots Social Work Team spanned three generations of "old, middle and young people", and were composed of Taiwanese compatriots, Taiwanese youth, Taiwanese social workers and local residents. For the women's dragon boat team, most of the rowers participated in the dragon boat race for the first time.

　　Rowinger He Huijing, a social worker from Taiwan, said that there is no age limit for the team to register. Some older rowers are less physically fit, but they still practice diligently, which is touching.

　　"We are all amateurs, and the focus is on participation." He Huijing admitted that being able to participate in the dragon boat race is the wish of every Taiwan compatriot in the team. Although they did not win the ranking, it was an unexpected joy for them to enter the final.

　　Last year, the Social Work Service Center for Taiwanese Compatriots in Jimei District, Xiamen established a volunteer team of calla lilies.

The flower language of calla lilies is "transmitting happiness". He Huijing said that this is just like the ambition of the calla lilies volunteer team to bring the experience of community governance in Taiwan into the village, and it is also like the wish of the dragon boat team to pass on happiness to both sides of the strait during this Dragon Boat Festival.

　　The "Our Festival·Dragon Boat Festival" cross-strait dragon boat battle activity that debuted in Jiageng Park, Jimei District, around the traditional Dragon Boat Festival customs, held folk garden parties, rice dumpling competitions, cross-strait youth poetry meetings, Southern Fujian folk art performances, duck hunting and other activities. Great fun.

　　Gong Xiaoting, who is a graduate student at Jimei University, dressed in Hanfu as a ceremony official, wrote on the children's foreheads with cinnabar, and wrapped colorful threads around their wrists.

　　Gong Xiaoting is a volunteer of Xiamen Hanfu Association. She has been in contact with Hanfu since her sophomore year and is attracted by traditional etiquette and culture.

"I hope that the Dragon Boat Festival prayer activities will help children on both sides of the strait to remember traditional folk customs," she said.

　　According to Chen Shengyuan, the drummer of the Xiang'an Taiyuan Dragon Boat Team, Hanfu also represents the harmony between the two sides of the strait.

On the Dragon Boat Pond, he, dressed in Hanfu, raised his arms high and beat the sonorous and powerful drums, becoming an ancient scenery.

"Hanfu represents our enthusiasm for traditional culture. I am willing to wear Hanfu and lead everyone in the same boat on both sides of the strait," he said.

　　Wu Jiaying, President of Xiamen Taiwanese Investment Enterprise Association, has been deeply involved in the mainland for 24 years. She has spent at least 18 Dragon Boat Festivals in Xiamen, and has participated in dragon boat races across the Taiwan Strait for many years.

In his opinion, Xiamen's Dragon Boat Festival has a very strong folk atmosphere and strong cross-strait friendship.

　　"Among the 41 participating dragon boat teams, 17 teams from Taiwan compatriots came to the competition. I was very excited to see compatriots from both sides of the strait together." Wu Jiaying said, "Taiwan compatriots share the economic development dividends of the motherland and the mainland, and they also share Feel the atmosphere of the festival. The integration and development of the two sides of the strait can be seen through dragon boat racing. Some dragon boat teams are half Taiwan compatriots and half mainland compatriots. Together, this is one family on both sides of the strait." (End)