What did the Shanghai Student Dragon Culture Versatile bring to children in the past decade? Shanghai | Sports | Students

Dragon zither flying in the sky, dragon and lion leaping on the ground, dragon boat racing on the water! Accompanied by the fierce competition, the children's sweat, tears, laughter......

On June 22, the Dragon Boat Festival, the 10th Shanghai Student Dragon Culture All-round Competition opened at the Shanghai Youth Off-campus Activity Camp. This year's competition includes three events: dragon boat race, kite race, and dragon teacher race. There are four groups: elementary school, junior high school, Senior high school, and college. A total of 130 teams from 114 schools in 16 districts of the city participated in the competition. A total of 2696 players participated. They let their dreams fly together, dance the "dragon culture", and draw the "dragon spirit".

Ten years of sharpening a sword, the future is more promising! Over the past ten years, nearly 50000 students from more than 1600 schools 1800 sports teams in 16 districts of the city have joined this annual dragon culture event tailored for young people. More and more children, because of this stage, arouse the recognition and love of Chinese traditional culture, and benefit for life.

Ten years of sharpening a sword, the future is even more promising! Over the past decade, nearly 50000 students from over 1600 schools and 1800 sports teams in 16 districts of the city have joined this annual dragon culture event tailored for teenagers. More and more children are arousing their recognition and love for traditional Chinese culture through this stage, and benefiting from it for life.

A passionate stage, a footnote to youth

"One, two! One, two..." The bow of the boat was drummed, and the students rowed together, creating a scene in the dragon boat competition area. Amidst the rumbling drums and shouts, dragon boats rushed out one after another, and the waves churned in the water, echoing the bustling crowds on the shore. Passing the finish line, the children raised their hands high, which seemed like a declaration of youth;

In the Dragon and Lion competition area, a dragon dance team jumps out with a dragon head in hand and beats to the rhythm, resembling a dragon going out to sea. Upon closer inspection, the team was entirely composed of female members who innovated their movements and combinations, sometimes playing with dragons and pearls, sometimes flipping the river and the sea. The entire performance was like flowing clouds and water, making everyone applaud uncontrollably;

With the teacher's command, the students slowly released the long string in their hands, and the kite carrying their dreams soared in the clouds. "This is something we made ourselves, every detail needs to be very accurate, and we have to adjust it continuously based on experience. Today was very successful!" In the kite competition area, a participating student looked at the sky with a confident smile on his face.

These lively and extraordinary scenes, the moments of each child's passionate struggle, are also the most profound impression that the past nine sessions of the "Dragon Culture All around Competition" have left on those who have experienced it firsthand. For the past decade, this competition has gathered hundreds of universities, primary and secondary schools, and thousands of students in Shanghai every year. Every year on this day, children come out of the campus to this stage, embrace nature under the blue sky and beautiful sun, embrace traditional Chinese sports, and experience the charm of traditional Chinese culture.

A few months in advance, students came to ask when this year's competition would be better. "" I have already participated in three sessions, and I still come to high school. "" The most painful training before each competition, but everyone thinks it's worth it after the competition. "These comments from the participating teachers and students have long been the norm of the" Dragon Culture All around Competition. ".

Another norm is that the competition always maintains innovation and dedication. Every year, not only is there a ceremonial opening ceremony, but there is also a distinct theme. For example, in 2015, with the theme of "Dragon Culture and Youth," students performed with youthful vitality, showcasing intangible cultural heritage projects such as Chinese martial arts, Three Forest Dragon Dance, and Fengxian Lantern Rolling, making the competition full of traditional cultural atmosphere; In 2021, with the theme of "A Centenary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China, Joining the Wind and Clouds, and Bringing the Divine Dragon Again", a hundred meter long dragon kite will be flown, and each scale will be hand drawn by children to tell a story of a party history event

This year, in order to fully tap the traditional Chinese virtue education elements contained in the "dragon culture" and cultivate students' national self-confidence and pride, the organizers launched a collection activity themed "Chinese Loong in my heart". This event is aimed at students from all over the city, collecting over 1100 carefully crafted calligraphy, painting, and video works.

The students gave full play to their creativity and recorded their understanding and perception of the Chinese Loong in their hearts with pen, ink, paper and inkstone, colorful brushes and video equipment. Some works depict the magnificent scene of a divine dragon soaring in the clouds and mist; Some works showcase the mysterious charm and unique temperament of dragons through delicate lines and vivid images; Some works also focus the camera on the "descendants of dragons" around them, exploring the spirit of dragons.

After multiple rounds of selection by experts from universities, media, and other fields, a total of 108 award-winning works were selected from multiple categories. Many students said that through this activity, they realized more deeply that the Chinese Loong, as a symbol of the Chinese nation, carries the spiritual core and cultural genes of our nation.

Nowadays, the "Dragon Culture All around Competition" has become a single brand activity of the Shanghai Student Sunshine Sports League; Becoming a pioneering project for students to inherit traditional Chinese sports and promote dragon culture, which has attracted social attention; It has become a festival that is highly sought after by students in Shanghai and belongs to them.

Is the "Dragon Culture All-Round" just an annual carnival for the children? The growth stories of several "little dragon men" can give the answer.

Motivation for growth, continuation of tradition

Is the Dragon Culture Versatile just an annual celebration for children? The growth stories of several "little dragon people" can provide answers.

"Dragon boat has become a part of my life, giving me a second life," said Huang Wei, the captain of the Dragon Boat Team at Zhongqiao Vocational and Technical University. Six years ago, Huang Wei was a basketball player at Shanghai Business Foreign Language School. However, an accidental injury caused him to tear his Achilles tendon and he had to give up his passion. At that time, lying in bed every day watching his former teammates dominate the field, his heart was only filled with pain and helplessness. At this moment, the leader of the dragon boat team asked him if he was willing to join the team and represent the school in the "Dragon Culture All around Competition". At that time, he was filled with doubts and lack of confidence in himself, but the teacher's persistence and encouragement made him start to re-examine himself. Huang Wei began to try to find the light of his dreams. Huang Wei eventually joined the dragon boat team, using pain and sweat to carve out a new starting point for himself -10000 meters of endurance training for rowing and 10000 meters of endurance running every day, combined with technical and tactical training and physical fitness exercises in the gym. In the end, he represented the Industrial and Commercial Foreign Language School in the "Dragon Culture All around Competition". When he galloped in the blue waves, he felt extremely excited because he understood that the dragon boat gave him not only a sports stage, but also a new hope and vitality in life. Now, Huang Wei uses his story to influence and inspire more people.

"For me, kite flying is not just a game, but a dual enjoyment of sight and hearing, a dance in the air, and a challenge to skills and patience." Liu Yiqing won first prize twice in the Student Dragon Culture All around Competition, which is a recognition of her hard work and perseverance. Her love for kites began with the kite club of Shanghai Business Foreign Language School, but her kite journey was not smooth sailing. She didn't know how to find the wind direction, her hands trembled, and the kite string was tangled... At first, she couldn't fly the kite smoothly, and the coach's strict guidance once made her want to give up. Until day after day of training, Liu Yiqing and his companions were finally able to fly in a neat formation in the air, and they deeply experienced the sweet taste of giving back with effort. "As teenagers, we have an obligation to protect and inherit this cultural heritage, and pass on this persistence and love to more people," she said.

You Liwen has represented Shanyang Middle School in Jinshan District to participate in the "Dragon Culture All around Competition" four times. She said she deeply loves dragon dance and believes that dragon dance is not only a sports activity, but also a way to inherit Chinese culture. "A dragon requires dozens of people to unite as one, and a mistake can lead to problems in the coordination of the entire team." You Liwen said that China has been the descendant of dragons since ancient times, and Chinese culture is a culture of self-improvement and selflessness. This is the philosophy she learned from dragon dancing. She remembers the moments when each team member was sweating profusely and feeling overwhelmed; Remember how all team members put in their best effort during the game and completed movements that are difficult to achieve in regular training; I remember the moment when the results were announced, the joy and pride in my heart.

Wang Bian's dragon boat career began seven years ago in the Dragon Culture All Around Race. He has competed as the captain of the Dragon Boat Team at Shanghai Second University of Technology and the Dragon Boat Team at Shanghai Institute of Sports. Now, he has become a physical education teacher at Shanghai Overseas Chinese University. This year, as a coach, he led the school's dragon boat team to continue this competition. Having been with Dragon Boat for 7 years, he said he had laughed, shed tears, achieved success, and failed. However, each challenge allowed him to experience the spirit of advancing bravely and striving for excellence, and truly understood the meaning of never giving up despite repeated failures. "I deeply love everything that dragon boat has given me, and I want to spend my whole life giving back to dragon boat, so that more young people can understand and love this sport," said Wang Bian.

In recent years, the "Dragon Culture Versatile Competition" has been helping students enjoy fun, enhance their physical fitness, improve their personality, and exercise their willpower through physical exercise, making them remember for a lifetime - the culture of the dragon has accompanied their growth.

It is worth mentioning that this year's "Dragon Culture All around Competition" also received a special 10th anniversary blessing - a group of young people from Xinjiang. They used to be members of the dragon boat team at Shanghai Weiyu High School, but now that they have graduated, they are working hard in different cities. "We feel that traditional Chinese culture has different connotations in different eras, and the inheritance of patriotism has fallen on our generation. Dragon culture has taught me the meaning of unity, and we must carry it forward," said Talipini, a young man from Xinjiang who has participated in the dragon culture all-around competition multiple times in a row.

The lever of education, a lifelong wealth

For the past decade, the "Dragon Culture Versatile Competition" has become a stage for various schools in Shanghai to showcase the achievements of traditional cultural education and the charm of students.

According to Li Junxiu, Executive Vice Chairman of the Municipal Primary and Secondary School Teacher Award Foundation, more and more schools have organized cultural and sports activities such as dragon boat, dragon lion, and kite through the guidance of the dragon culture all-around competition, enriching students' extracurricular sports activities. Since 2013, Shanghai Industrial and Commercial Foreign Language School has been carrying out the construction of dragon culture clubs. From the initial formation of dragon dance teams to the later completion of the "Heavenly Dragon, Earthly Dragon, and Water Dragon" three dragons, it was later awarded the license by the Municipal Education Commission and became a base for the inheritance and education of dragon culture; Pujiang Primary School in Minhang District has listed the exploration of dragon culture as a characteristic campus culture construction project. Through practical research on a series of topics such as "dragon culture and national spirit education" and "dragon culture and diversified development of schools", students have gained a preliminary understanding of the basic knowledge of the origin and development of dragon culture, and enhanced their sense of identification with dragon culture. The school has launched a school-based course on "Nine Dragons Exploration" and has also built a cultural park called "Eighteen Scenic Spots of Dragon Culture" on campus; Fudan Science and Technology Park Primary School in Yangpu District established the "Kite" club in 2014. Through continuous practice and exploration, the school has developed a school-based textbook called "One Kite, One Line - Kite Techniques Reader", allowing students to appreciate and understand kites while also mastering the techniques of making and flying kites; East China Normal University Songjiang Experimental High School has built a "Micro Kite Museum" full of kite culture and artistic atmosphere, showcasing over 500 physical kites from around the world as learning resources for comprehensive kite courses

Many schools have also made dragon boat sports a part of their daily teaching: Shanghai Qingpu Senior High School, taking advantage of the unique conditions of the water town, has established dragon boat special classes. There are a total of 24 classes in the first and second year of high school, each with a dragon boat team. They have also developed dragon boat textbooks and regularly hold a series of dragon boat festival activities in May every year; The Dragon Dance Team of Shanghai Urban Construction Vocational College has been established for seven years, offering dragon dance courses in public physical education courses, with nearly 10000 students taking the courses; Shanghai Shanyang Middle School, which also regards dragon and lion dance as a way to cultivate students, has won first place in the junior high school group of the dragon and lion competition for many consecutive years in the Shanghai Student Dragon Culture All around Competition.