Single-bamboo rafting thrives at Hechi University

In Hechi University, students under the guidance of their coach are often seen gliding gracefully on the waters as they engage in the traditional sport of single-bamboo rafting, a traditional sport among ethnic minorities with deep roots in the region's cultural heritage. This is a daily training ritual of the university’s single-bamboo rafting team.

In 2011, at the 9th National Minority Nationalities Traditional Sports Games in Guiyang in Southwest China’s Guizhou province, single-bamboo rafting was officially recognized as a competitive sport. Subsequently, in 2021, it was included in the fifth batch of representative projects for China's national intangible cultural heritage.

Over the years, Hechi University’s Sports School has played a pivotal role in preserving, protecting, and advancing single-bamboo rafting under the leadership of Lan Jianzhuo, dean of the sports sTchool, who has charted a path of remarkable success in its preservation.

Through years of dedicated practice and exploration, Hechi University’s single-bamboo rafting team has become more skillful. In 2015 and 2019, the team clinched seven gold medals for the Guangxi sports delegation at the National Minority Nationalities Traditional Sports Games, establishing themselves as leaders in national competitions.

Lan envisions single-bamboo rafting as a dynamic vehicle for the continued survival of intangible cultural items. “By incorporating the sport into the curriculum and talent development plans, we aim to bring this traditional folk art into the lives of more people in order to ensure its lasting preservation.”

On April 4, 2019, members of the single-bamboo rafting team of Hechi University participate in a competition held in Guilin. [Photo/Hechi Daily]