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]

"It tears down geographic barriers to boost cultural-sports integration and talent exchange," Zhang said. "Teams compete on the water, while post-race dragon boat forums are held for in-depth discussions on sportsmanship and cultural inheritance."

More than a sports event, the race serves as a platform for young talent from the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region to enhance communication and cooperation, as well as a meaningful way for young people to inherit and promote traditional Chinese culture, local authorities said.