Foreign Enterprise Regatta makes a big splash
The Pudong 2019 Chinese Foreign Enterprise Regatta began on Saturday, with more than 400 participants paddling boats on the Chuandibei River, near Shanghai Disney.
Nearly a quarter of the competitors are from countries including Germany, France and Japan.
The two-day competition is held in a rowing center that opened to the public in June last year in Shanghai International Resort in the Pudong New Area.
This year, it attracted more than 20 domestic and multinational companies, such as Coca-Cola, AJ Trust and Zhangjiang Group, with regional headquarters in Pudong.
It also attracted 15 clubs, including China’s Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and the rowing clubs of UK’s Oxford and Cambridge universities.
In 2021, Shanghai will become the first Chinese city to host the World Rowing Championships, so this year's competition has a category for teenagers. Rowing is not such a popular sport among the city youth, but 40 young rowers, with the youngest aged only 8, from Pinghe Bilingual School, Lucton School and New Boat Club, took part.
Sun Yongqiang, honorary chairman of the competition, said rowing is a traditional Olympic event, very popular among foreigners, but mostly unknown among Chinese people.
He said the competition can help strengthen relations between Chinese and foreigner employees, and will soon become an important event in the Yangtze River Delta region.