Pearl of Qizhen Lake: the story behind ZJU's rising aquatics club

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Nestled in a quiet corner near the university’s newly opened northeast gate, a group of paddlers gently push multi-coloured boats into the chilly waters. One by one, the boats slide into the calm lake. The sound of splashing water intersperses the light banter of the paddlers. Rays of sunlight pierce through the fresh flower buds of the overhanging trees, a gentle spring breeze adds to the crisp morning atmosphere.

The tranquility belies the intense training about to begin for members of the Zhejiang University Students Aquatic Sports Club (ZJUSASC). In the hours that follow, raw strength and focused technique are combined as the paddlers push themselves to the limit. Rain or shine, this scene replays itself day after day at the Qizhen Lake of Zijingang Campus.

During this period of gruelling training, paddlers stretch themselves physically and mentally as they try to outdo each other. When asked to relate the most intense day of training, a near unanimous response is received: every session is equally strenuous; equally draining and yet equally fulfilling. Grumbling is unheard of. A strong sense of camaraderie and positivity is felt amongst the paddlers.

“We train hard especially before important competitions, I remember one time we kept rowing for 10 miles, the training was harsh but everyone kept it up,” said KANG Shuyu, a dragon boat paddler who joined the club when she was a freshman. “My friend Sansan and I never played dragon boat before; we were both very interested in that traditional sport so we joined the dragon boat team together.”

KANG fell in love with paddlesports. In the following years of her university life, she joined in countless competitions, and always served as the first paddler (pacer) of the dragon boat. Last summer, KANG graduated from the University, with her graduation photos taken on the water.

The history of ZJUSASC can be tracked back to 2011, when a ZJU dragon boat team was formed to compete in the first ever China University Dragon Boat Competition and ZJUers clinched gold. In 2014, as former Chinese National Team member and Sprint World Champion XU Yaping joined the University, more water sports courses were introduced to students and the club was founded.

With strong support from the Department of Public Physical and Art Education of the University, ZJUSASC also brought in coach WU Ge, a highly esteemed paddler in the international kayaking circuit. “There is a beautiful lake at the heart of the Zijingang Campus. For me the perfect ways to complement the tranquility of the lake are the drumbeats coming from students’ dragon boats, the splashes made by the paddle and the sounds of canoe polo team scrimmaging. I absolutely love this work environment,” said WU Ge, winner of the 2018 Excellence in Instruction Award by American Canoe Association (ACA).

“Our Department is very supportive of our paddlesports programs and the student teams. The club is run by a group of amazing young people who devote a large chunk of their time recruiting, training, competing and organizing events for fellow students, teachers and alumni members. It’s very fulfilling to help and see these young people grow, develop and achieve their goals.”

It should therefore come as no surprise that ZJUSASC has made great strides in both the local and international arena. In 2018 alone, the club soared to an astounding haul of six gold, two silver and one bronze. The club also sent representatives to the prestigious FISU Canoe Sprint World University Championship and the Dresden Rowing Cup.

And ZJUSASC is not resting on its laurels. Plans are already underway to further enhance the club’s competitive edge. In 2017, Ms. XU Yaping and the club made great efforts to organize the first International Elite University Dragon Boat Championships. The competition attracted many student-athletes from world renowned universities to Hangzhou and brought to a new level the popularity of canoe and kayak on campus. The University has also entered into a partnership with ACA to launch educational and instructional cooperation and further the promotion of paddlesports.

“Now the club has more than 300 kayaks and dragon boats, and we plan to invest in more, ” said Prof. WU Yehai, head of the Department of Public Physical and Art Education. “As you can tell from the rising participation of the annual water sports festival, Sanhao Cup, paddlesports have steadily gained in popularity among our students in recent years.”

With ZJUSASC's sixth anniversary in the coming new months, one can only look forward in anticipation of the numerous awards and exciting activities awaiting this promising club. 

Writer: Ian Chew

Edited by: HE Jiawen

Photo: DAI Zhiyi, ZHANG Lingchao, DENG Zixin & MA Yudan