On June 18, the inaugural “Jiuding Cup” Rugao Dragon Boat Invitational Race was grandly held on the ancient Longyou River. Resounding drumbeats and rhythmic oar strokes animated the river surface, presenting a spectacular traditional folk sports event. Among 25 elite teams from across the city, two teams formed by Jiuding New Materials — the Jiuding New Materials Team and the Jiuding Special Fiber Team — stood out fiercely and secured the second and third places respectively. Their outstanding performances not only added splendid festive colors to the Dragon Boat Festival but also delivered a wonderful water spectacle that perfectly integrated traditional folk culture with new material technology for local citizens.
Endowed with abundant water resources and profound cultural heritage, Rugao has rarely held dragon boat races on the Longyou River for centuries. Upholding the corporate mission of “Standing Firm for the World and Repaying the Society”, Jiuding New Materials actively fulfills its social responsibilities by empowering local cultural prosperity with industrial strength. Promoted personally by Gu Qingbo, the company’s chairman, the enterprise established the first folk dragon boat team in Rucheng District and strongly supported the launch of Rugao’s first Dragon Boat Festival dragon boat race. This initiative revives the traditional spirit of “helping each other in the same boat and forging ahead courageously” on the rippling waves of the Longyou River.
The opening ceremony kicked off solemnly at 14:00 by the riverside. Cheng Ruiqin, Deputy Secretary of Rugao Municipal Party Committee and Mayor of Rugao City, together with Chairman Gu Qingbo, jointly performed the traditional dragon eye dotting ritual for two brand-new dragon boats, marking a brand-new chapter of dragon boat culture in Rugao. Following the ceremony, Mayor Cheng Ruiqin officially announced the opening of the competition. As the starting whistle sounded, 25 teams competed fiercely in the 200-meter straight track sprint on separate lanes.
All members of the two Jiuding teams are frontline employees from the company’s production, technology, sales and other departments. From team formation to the official competition, the athletes only underwent more than 40 days of intensive training. Starting from zero foundation, they stuck to their daily work duties in the daytime and conducted physical and skill training morning and evening. Despite blistered hands and sore shoulders from high-intensity practice, no one flinched or gave up. Driven by the enterprise spirit of “gathering wisdom and pursuing excellence”, the two teams overcame numerous challenges and successfully advanced to the final round.
In the intense final competition, the rhythmic drumbeats echoed across the river. All athletes paddled in perfect unison, cutting through the waves with superb teamwork, and their neat movements complemented the beautiful riverside scenery of Longyou River. Eventually, the Jiuding New Materials Team narrowly took the second place, while the Jiuding Special Fiber Team ranked third. When the two teams stepped onto the podium together, on-site Jiuding employees cheered enthusiastically, pushing the atmosphere of the event to its climax.
“From zero foundation to standing on the podium, this honor is hard-earned through the sweat of every team member,” said Yang Chen, captain of the dragon boat team, after the competition. “As training intensity increased, all of us persisted in training with injuries without any complaints. We are fully aware that this is more than a sports competition. It is a crucial practice for Jiuding people to fulfill our corporate mission, revitalize local traditional culture and promote national cultural inheritance.”
The grand event gathered nearly 400 athletes from 25 teams and attracted tens of thousands of citizens to watch along the river, achieving an unprecedented scale. The competition was reported by China Central Television and Jiangsu Provincial TV Station, gaining wide social attention. Multiple institutions including Nantong New Material Industry Chamber of Commerce, Jiangsu Su Chamber of Commerce Development Promotion Association, Zhang Jian Entrepreneur College and Chinese Culture Promotion Association sent congratulatory letters.
The congratulatory letter from Zhang Jian Entrepreneur College pointed out that Jiuding New Materials practices Zhang Jian’s spirit of serving the country through industry with practical actions. The core connotations of unity and courage embodied in dragon boat racing are highly consistent with the patriotism and perseverance advocated by Zhang Jian. Xia Jun, Executive Vice Chairman of the Chinese Culture Promotion Association, praised that Jiuding New Materials revitalizes the traditional spirit of “solidarity and mutual assistance” through industrial support for cultural development, writing a vivid chapter of Rugao’s cultural confidence with passion and diligence.
After the competition, all team members took a group photo with Chairman Gu Qingbo by the Longyou River. In the future, adhering to its original corporate mission, Jiuding New Materials will continue to take the new material industry as its foundation, contribute continuous corporate strength to the high-quality development of Rugao, and keep practicing social responsibility while inheriting and promoting traditional culture.
Post time: Jul-06-2026