Water sports like paddleboarding, kayaking, and dragon boating have become increasingly popular in south China's Guangzhou City, offering locals a refreshing and enjoyable escape on the water during the summertime.
As an emerging water sport, paddleboarding appeals to a diverse array of people, from children to middle-aged and senior individuals.
The sport allows people to paddle while standing, sitting, kneeling, or even lying down, providing more fun for participants. Even those without prior experience can quickly learn through coaching, making paddleboarding a popular water-based activity among residents in Guangzhou. "The coach taught us that we can try standing on the paddleboard, as it tests our balance more. It also challenges our courage. I think the key is to be not afraid, and I gradually overcome it," said Wei Wei, a primary school student who is learning paddleboarding at a club.
The paddleboarding club where Wei is enrolled also offers a photography service, capturing moments from students' learning journey to enhance their experience.
"Since the start of summer, we've felt the workload has doubled, especially on weekends, when our members have to queue for booking a class. Our club currently has over 2,000 to 3,000 students enrolled in paddleboarding classes," said Liang Bingshen, a coach of Guangzhou Leshui Paddleboarding Club.
Local authorities are fostering water sports by improving infrastructure and professional training, creating an optimal environment that drives water sports-related consumption during summer.
"We have built three new water sports base piers and introduced 56 additional boats for water sports. We've also run six training sessions for 300 water sports instructors to further expand the public engagement with these sports. A total of 32,000 residents and tourists have participated in the water sports, generating over 4 million yuan (about 552,000 U.S. dollars) in water sports-related consumption," said Yang Yiming, head of the Sports Section of the Culture, Broadcasting, Tourism and Sports Bureau of Haizhu District.
Water sports gain popularity in Guangzhou, boosting consumption
