Hunan's traditional dragon boat competition draws 4,200 athletes

Approximately 4,200 athletes are competing in the fierce waters of the 2025 Mayang Traditional Dragon Boat Race in Huaihua, Hunan province, which will conclude on Saturday. [Photo by Zhang Zhuo/For chinadaily.com.cn]

Approximately 4,200 athletes are competing in the fierce waters of the 2025 Mayang Traditional Dragon Boat Race in Huaihua, Hunan province, which will conclude on Saturday.

The six-day race features an 800-meter upstream sprint with 60 rowers per boat. Two dragon boats race head-to-head in each heat.

At the referee's signal, the boats shoot forward like arrows, cutting through the waves. Drummers set the rhythm, helmsmen steady the course, gong players boost morale, and rowers power through in a test of teamwork and endurance. Onshore, tens of thousands of spectators cheer, their roars mingling with the splashing waves.

Dragon boat culture runs deep in Mayang's Miao ethnic heritage, where every village has a dragon boat, and every household has a rower. It's a tradition that has been upheld for centuries.

In recent years, Mayang's dragon boats have gone viral on Douyin (TikTok). In 2024, "Mayang Traditional Dragon Boat Racing" was listed on Huaihua's 8th intangible cultural heritage list.

Approximately 4,200 athletes are competing in the fierce waters of the 2025 Mayang Traditional Dragon Boat Race in Huaihua, Hunan province, which will conclude on Saturday. [Photo by Zhang Zhuo/For chinadaily.com.cn]

Approximately 4,200 athletes are competing in the fierce waters of the 2025 Mayang Traditional Dragon Boat Race in Huaihua, Hunan province, which will conclude on Saturday. [Photo by Zhang Zhuo/For chinadaily.com.cn]

Approximately 4,200 athletes are competing in the fierce waters of the 2025 Mayang Traditional Dragon Boat Race in Huaihua, Hunan province, which will conclude on Saturday. [Photo by Zhang Zhuo/For chinadaily.com.cn]

Approximately 4,200 athletes are competing in the fierce waters of the 2025 Mayang Traditional Dragon Boat Race in Huaihua, Hunan province, which will conclude on Saturday. [Photo by Zhang Zhuo/For chinadaily.com.cn]

Approximately 4,200 athletes are competing in the fierce waters of the 2025 Mayang Traditional Dragon Boat Race in Huaihua, Hunan province, which will conclude on Saturday. [Photo by Zhang Zhuo/For chinadaily.com.cn]

Approximately 4,200 athletes are competing in the fierce waters of the 2025 Mayang Traditional Dragon Boat Race in Huaihua, Hunan province, which will conclude on Saturday. [Photo by Zhang Zhuo/For chinadaily.com.cn]

Approximately 4,200 athletes are competing in the fierce waters of the 2025 Mayang Traditional Dragon Boat Race in Huaihua, Hunan province, which will conclude on Saturday. [Photo by Zhang Zhuo/For chinadaily.com.cn]

鄉村老屋巧改造 民眾樂享田園慢生活

中新社長沙5月29日電 題：鄉村老屋巧改造 民眾樂享田園慢生活

作者 付敬懿 張卓

清晨，沏上一壺清茶于院落竹亭中小憩，湖南懷化鶴城區水垅村山見茶館店長胡世軍與妻子李繪享受著田園慢生活。這里平時是生活的“港灣”，節假日則變成“網紅打卡點”。

在距離城區約八公里的城南街道水垅村租下一間民房，用一年時間修繕老木屋、設計景觀，從廣東返鄉的胡世軍打造了一個屬于自己的“田園院子”。從最初設想的田園隱居，到只接受預定的餐飲小院，夫妻倆“享受生活，不被田園所束縛”。

近年來，回鄉改造老屋的熱潮在年輕人中興起。磚瓦平房在他們的巧手下變成精致小院，并迅速發展成咖啡茶社、民宿、花園、酒館等農文旅融合新業態。

5月27日，山見茶館店長胡世軍與妻子李繪在自己打造的“田園院子”散步。張卓 攝

在長沙望城區茶亭花海核心片區，“90后”望城姑娘譚葑姣2020年租下一椽土磚房，化身泥瓦匠、花匠、木匠，用一年時間打造了一座屬于自己的小院——某譚小院，過上“我有一個院子，面朝花海，馥郁芬芳”的生活。

從線上做自媒體到線下經營鄉村，譚葑姣將家鄉閑置老屋改造成可餐、可茶、可宿的詩意空間，吸引眾多年輕人來此圍爐煮茶、看露天電影等。

當下，越來越多人想體驗鄉村慢生活。懷化市民尹萍、尹玲兩姐妹2019年在城郊方石坪村簽下兩棟年久失修的老屋長租合同，房前花草、屋后果蔬、室外茶臺，“雙尹居”被改造得舒適愜意。

這幾年，村民指導兩姐妹養雞鴨、采野菜、撿河螺、種果蔬，她們則和村民分享養花經驗。這種閑適生活，吸引了10余戶親朋好友來此租房居住。如今，方石坪村超七成閑置農房都已對外租賃，尹萍也成為村里的001號“榮譽村民”。

5月27日，原本破舊的鄉村老木屋在胡世軍的改造修繕下，成為精致田園小院。張卓 攝

“回到閑置許久的老房，告別多年打工生活，打造自己的世外桃源”“花一年時間修繕50年的老宅子”“親手改造我的夢中小院”……在中國的社交媒體上，許多網友分享自己陶淵明筆下“采菊東籬下，悠然見南山”的詩意棲居生活。

此前，中國各地紛紛嘗試盤活鄉村閑置資產，在老屋修繕過程中植入具有現代元素的文化創意、藝術創作、民宿風情、非遺工坊等。今年中央一號文件也提出，“探索農戶合法擁有的住房通過出租、入股、合作等方式盤活利用的有效實現形式”。

“鼓勵村民租賃閑置房屋或以房屋入股的形式分紅，在幫助新業態順利、快速進駐的同時，促進村民增收。”懷化鶴城區城南街道黨工委書記周福長說。(完)