China, UK students to show off rowing strength in Yangzhou

Yangzhou holds a press conference on April 4, sharing up-to-date news on the first China-UK Elite University Boat Race. [Photo/xhby.net]

The China-UK Elite University Boat Race will take place in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province on April 11. 

The local government held a press conference on April 4, sharing up-to-date news of the event. 

The event, the first of its kind in Yangzhou, will feature rowing teams from 10 universities across the world, such as the University of Cambridge in the UK, and Hohai University in East China. 

Tang Shanshan, an event organizer, said the participants also include professional rowers and enthusiastic local entrepreneurs. 

She also said that in preparation for the upcoming 19th Jiangsu Sports Games this September, water areas designed for races, warm-up exercises, open activities, and other purposes have undergone stricter testing and maintenance. 

The inauguration ceremony for a deep diving center adjoined with the Grand Canal, an ancient waterway running through Yangzhou, will also take place on April 11. 

The center covers an area of 360 mu (24 hectares). Its rowing division, which is equipped with docks, storerooms, boat exhibition halls, rowing tanks, restrooms, and modern sports facilities, has finished construction. 

The center's purpose is to revitalize Yangzhou's image and give it a stronger global voice. This would help enliven exchanges between local, domestic and overseas universities, attract more high-tech companies to the city, and help Grand Canal culture prosper and grow economically.

A designer's sketch of the Deep Diving Center adjoined with the Grand Canal. [Photo/xhby.net]