China News Service, Chengdu, October 1 (Shan Peng) The 2026 Chengdu Rowing Open, with the theme of "Integrating Intelligence with Tianfu and the Future of Boat Racing", kicked off on October 1 in the Nanhe City section of Xinjin District, Chengdu. Approximately 270 rowing athletes from 37 Chinese and foreign teams from all over the world competed in the same field, racing against the waves and taking the lead.
It is reported that this event is hosted by the Chinese Rowing Association, Sichuan Provincial Sports Bureau, and the Chengdu Municipal People's Government, and is hosted by the Chengdu Sports Bureau, Chengdu Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau, Chengdu Commerce Bureau, Chengdu Municipal People's Government Foreign Affairs Office, and Chengdu Xinjin District People's Government. The scale of the event and the competitive lineup are the largest ever.
At about 9 o'clock in the morning, both sides of the Nanhe River were crowded with people and red flags were flying. On the open river, the Nanhe Water Sports Center is the main stage, and two floating stages dot the river. This is a "one main and two auxiliary" multi-dimensional performance system innovatively created this year. The entire Nanhe River has become a natural "water theater".
A "National Tide Show" was staged shockingly. The melody of the original song "Hi Xinjin" sounded, the facial makeup of Sichuan Opera changed suddenly on the stage, the beat of hip-hop dance beat to the rhythm, the singing and dancing steps flew together on the main stage, and the two floating stages met each other across the water. On the water, Xu Lu, the 2025 Chengdu World Games torchbearer and water skiing champion, broke through the waves with her feet on a wakeboard. A group of water skiers formed a formation to follow closely behind, and performed a "360-degree circle around the boat" stunt, which attracted exclamations from the crowds on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
Later, amidst the majestic national anthem, the five-star red flag was brightly stretched on the big screen, and all the people on site stood in order and sang in unison. Afterwards, tender children's voices and melodious singing voices intertwined and sang "I Love You China" together. In the song, the athletes rode the waves, holding a huge five-star red flag to ride the wind and waves. A group of motorboat riders followed closely behind holding red flags, making a shocking appearance and driving the crowds along both sides of the river to dance "China Red".
At about 10 o'clock in the morning, the order was sounded, and the racing boats rushed out of the starting point like arrows from the string. In the day's schedule, the men's and women's mixed eight-sculls coxed 800-meter straight racing preliminaries of the university group took the lead in taking the oars, and the men's and women's quadruple sculls preliminaries of the open group started simultaneously.
It is understood that this competition has two categories: university group and open group. In the university group, the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge once again "rowed" the red and blue rowing showdown that has been inherited on the Thames for more than 200 years to the Xinjinnan River in Chengdu. Stanford University in the United States and McGill University in Canada participated for the first time. Together with 6 teams from internationally renowned universities, including Princeton University in the United States and the University of Otago in New Zealand, they competed with 6 domestic university teams from Peking University, Tsinghua University, Tongji University, Sun Yat-sen University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, and Chengdu Institute of Physical Education. The open group includes a total of 25 teams from universities, well-known middle schools, local representative teams and social rowing clubs. The two major groups total 37 Chinese and foreign teams and about 270 rowing athletes.
For the first time, this year's event has added a coxed 3.3-kilometer coxed eight-person mixed men's and women's sculls pursuit race in the college group, which has become a new highlight. The 3.3-kilometer waterway allows the competition to truly "draw" into the urban landscape. After each rowing team set off, they raced along the Nanhe City section, passing by Xinjin landmarks such as Wujin Corridor Bridge and Xiujue Mountain. Unlike the 800-meter straight course, where victory is determined by one rush, on the 3.3-kilometer course, the leader does not dare to relax for a moment, and the pursuer may come from behind at any time, testing the endurance, determination and tacit understanding of the players.
This event is the "biggest cultural tourism engine" among more than 4,000 cultural tourism activities in Sichuan during the National Day holiday. This event combines watching and vacationing. On the south bank of the Nanhe River, more than 150 specialty merchants from Chongqing, Aba, Zigong and other places have formed a waterfront market. They are spread out along the way. Intangible cultural heritage experiences such as Xinjin rope weaving, inner painting, and Xugong tea have their own characteristics. On the covered bridge square, the Sichuan Land Rowing Challenge is in full swing. The Nanhe Water Sports Center has opened paddleboarding, kayaking, motorboating and other experience projects to tourists, allowing tourists to experience the fun of chopping waves.
At night, the newly created "Waterfront Starry Night Rowing Music Show" will be staged on Nanhe. Chinese aerobatic water skiing team water performances, trendy DJs, Sichuan Opera spitting fire, intangible cultural heritage fireball and other programs will take turns. Singers will also lead audiences on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to launch a singing event, presenting a "water mobile music feast" shared by all.
