Students from 12 universities competed in a dragon boat race in Tianjin's Nankai district on May 31 to celebrate the upcoming traditional Dragon Boat Festival. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Held between Jintang Bridge and Shizilin Bridge, the race brought together university teams from across the region, combining a centuries-old folk tradition with youthful athletic competition.

"Dragon boat racing carries forward the spirit of unity and perseverance," Zhang Ziyang, captain of Nankai University's dragon boat team, said. "The spirit of 'one boat, one heart' remains at the core of the sport."