Tianjin Dragon Boat Festival丨Wellington Takes 3rd Place

Wellington College Tianjin staff shared in the celebrations for the traditional Dragon Boat Festival this year by entering a team in the famous dragon boat race on Tianjin's Haihe River. The group included 11 teachers and was finally rewarded for all their efforts by winning 3rd place among the 12 Tianjin international crews.

Twelve teams from Tianjin international corporations participated under the TIANJIN INTERNATIONAL TEAM, organised by the Tianjin Dragon Boat Association and sponsored by TIANJIN PLUS New Media.

There were 30 dragon boat teams from local and international organisations in China, with almost 500 participants from China and across the world. It was the largest number of participants in the 33-year history of dragon boat racing in Tianjin. 

The dragon boat race is a famous sporting and cultural event in Tianjin. Over the years, it has played an active role in promoting Tianjin, showing off the beauty of the Haihe River, building links across our community and raising the city's profile.

This year, the Haihe Dragon Boat Race attracted the keen attention of a large number of media. Members of our staff dragon boat team were interviewed by both CGTN and CCTV4 International Channel.

Jayne Sabio, Head of Sixth Form and the crew's drummer, along with Eamonn Williams, Head of Maths and a rower in the team, were interviewed by CGTN.

Mary Stevens, an English Teacher and the coach of Wellington College Tianjin Dragon Boat staff team this year, was interviewed by CCTV4.

It was raining on the day, but that didn't stop the Wellington community - including teachers, pupils and staff family members - from cheering for the school dragon boat crew along the Haihe riverbank. "Go, Wellington, go!" 

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Dr Yang Yang, the Deputy Head of the school, said, "It was such an unforgettable Dragon Boat festival, and it's the best team spirit-building activity ever. As a local from Tianjin, this is the first time for me to watch the Dragon Boat race on Haihe River. It's been such an exciting moment, and I feel really proud of our teachers."

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Julian Jeffrey, Master of Wellington College Tianjin, remarked, "This has been such an exciting and rewarding experience for our staff and their families. Sharing in the celebrations for one of China's most important national holidays has been a privilege. As a part of the Tianjin community, we were so delighted to support this famous event for our city, and for us to finish in third place was an unexpected bonus! I would like to thank the organisers and congratulate all the teams on this marvellous event."

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Watch the video of interview