On May 25th, it was reported by multiple domestic media outlets that as the Dragon Boat Festival approaches, 83-year-old Grandpa Ding Yuzhen from Wenzhou is still agilely leaping and shouting like a bell at the bow of the boat, becoming an online sensation.
The old man remarked, "Not satisfied, I plan to paddle for two more years."
It is known that each dragon boat is equipped with a helmsman, also known as the "steersman," who uses a long steering oar to control the direction.
When the race reaches a critical moment, the steersmen can't help but jump up to cheer for the dragon boat. Locals call this action "jumping the steering oar." The dragon boat commander and the drummers mostly stand in the middle of the boat, beating drums and gongs to create an intense competitive atmosphere.
Experts point out that just as people visit each other on the first day of the lunar new year, the Dragon Boat Festival's dragon boat races and other folk activities showcase the appeal, affinity, and cohesion of folk culture.
For thousands of years, countless poems and verses about Dragon Boat Festival races have been composed, revealing the rich cultural connotations of the festival and leaving behind beautiful scenes of competitive racing for future generations.
