On June 18, the first “Jiuding Cup” Rugao Dragon Boat Invitational Race took place on the historic Longyou River. Two company teams, Jiuding New Material and Jiuding Special Fiber, excelled among 25 competitors, winning second and third place. Their achievement celebrated the Dragon Boat Festival and offered Rugao residents a spectacular event that merged traditional culture with new material technology.
Rugao, a city defined by its rivers and culture, had not seen dragon boat racing on the Longyou River for over a hundred years. This year, Jiuding New Material, fulfilling its corporate mission of “Stand Firm, Give Back” and championed by Chairman Gu Qingbo, built the city’s first civilian dragon boat team and supported Rugao’s inaugural Dragon Boat Festival race. Their efforts revived the traditional spirit of unity and striving on the river.
At 2:00 PM, the opening ceremony was held on the Longyou River. Mayor Cheng Ruiqin and Chairman Gu Qingbo performed the traditional “eye-dotting” ceremony for two new dragon boats, marking a new chapter in Rugao’s dragon boat culture.
After the eye-dotting ceremony, Mayor Cheng Ruiqin declared the race open. The starting whistle sounded, and 25 teams raced fiercely in a 200-meter straight-line sprint.
Both Jiuding teams were formed from staff across production, tech, and sales. After just 40 days of intense training from scratch, they pushed through blisters and pain with no one quitting. With the spirit of “Gathering Wisdom, Pursuing Excellence,” both reached the finals.
In the finals, they rowed in perfect sync to thunderous drums. Jiuding New Material came second by a narrow margin, and Jiuding Special Fiber took third. When they stood on the podium together, their colleagues cheered loudly, bringing the event to its peak.
Post time: Jul-14-2026