VIPERS, a dragon boat team composed of expatriates from the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Australia and India, is undergoing intense training for the 2019 China Telecom “Hello 5G Cup” Jinji Lake Dragon Boat Race scheduled in SIP on June 7. Aged 38 in average, the team members who took the seventh place in last year’s event are itching to make a bigger success this time.

“VIPERS began to compete in the annual race in 2015. We usually started training in February, three times per week first and then four times when the race is approaching,” said Scott Clayton, the team captain who moved from the UK to SIP in 2002.

Another team member Scott knows well about the legends and traditions related to Chinese dragon boat races held around the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival which, reckoned on the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese lunar calendar, will fall on June 7 this year.

“The Jinji Lake Dragon Boat Race is not only a competition, but also a great cultural scene. The race is usually paired with displays that enable us to gain a better understanding of Chinese culture,” Scott said.

It is learnt that 238 expats from over 20 countries and regions will join this year’s competition.