The first Shenzhen X9 Alliance of Universities and Institutes (X9 Alliance) Rowing League Around X-Lake Sciensity successfully kicked off yesterday along the Dasha River in Nanshan District during a ceremony where the establishment of the X9 Alliance was also announced.

Photos by Sun Yuchen

A total of 24 teams composed of 360 academicians, teachers, researchers and students from local universities and research institutes will compete in the races.

Mao Junfa, president of Shenzhen University (SZU), the event’s organizer, said at a pre-race preparation meeting that as a first-tier city with regional and water resource advantages, Shenzhen’s preparation for the X9 Rowing League will help showcase the city’s first-class scientific and educational resources and beautiful ecological environment, and reflect its young spirit and vitality.

Rowing developed as a sport in England in the 1700s. In 1775, the U.K. mapped out the first rowing competition rules and established rowing clubs. The rowing match between Oxford and Cambridge universities, which was first held in 1829 over the River Thames, is regarded as the origin of modern rowing.

Rowing is a sport that involves using a wooden paddle, known as an oar, to propel a long boat through water at high speeds in order to win a race. It is one of the traditional Olympic sports. Rowing has a deep connection with campus culture and has been widely regarded as a sport that requires a lot of teamwork.