Chengdu Regatta Draws 270 Rowers From 37 Teams
Chengdu Open Rowing Regatta drew 37 teams and about 270 rowers, including 12 university teams from China and overseas.
By Academic Writing Club Newsroom
The 2026 Chengdu Open Rowing Regatta brought 37 teams and about 270 rowers to Xinjin district in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Oct. 1 and 2. The field was the event’s largest and strongest to date. Twelve university teams competed alongside 25 teams in the open category. The event was held on the Nanhe River during China’s National Day holiday.
University Teams Race In Xinjin
The university category included teams from Oxford, Cambridge, Princeton, Stanford, the University of Otago, McGill University, Peking University, Tsinghua University, Tongji University, Sun Yat-sen University, Xi’an Jiaotong University, and Chengdu Sport University.
The 12 teams raced mixed eights with coxswains over an 800-meter straight course. They also took part in a new 3.3-kilometer pursuit race along almost the full urban section of the Nanhe River.
The open category drew 25 teams from rowing clubs, school societies, enterprises, and individual enthusiasts. Those crews competed in men’s and women’s quadruple sculls over 800 meters.
Cultural Events Accompany Racing
Xinjin launched a cultural exchange program during the regatta under the theme “Millennia-old Ferry Landing, Global Paddlers’ Gathering.” International rowers joined dragon-boat paddlers for skills exchanges, intangible cultural heritage workshops, local food, and race viewing.
Other events included an international youth city walk, youth cultural exchanges, and gatherings for students from top universities. Visitors could also try paddleboarding and kayaking, visit a riverside market, watch street performances, and attend a nighttime show.
Glen Sinclair, head coach of the Otago University Rowing Club, said:
“The regatta gets more professional every year. For me, it has always been the most professional university regatta in China. In my club, it’s the one everyone talks about and wants to compete in.”
A Longstanding Water Tradition
Xinjin is located at the confluence of five rivers and has a boat-racing tradition dating to the Tang Dynasty. The district also holds traditional dragon-boat races during each Dragon Boat Festival.
The regatta gave university rowers an opportunity to compete with teams from China and overseas while taking part in the district’s water-based cultural program.
