China Hosts World Rowing Championships for the First Time, the Popularity of This Niche Sport Exceeds Expectations
From September 21 to 28, the 2025 World Rowing Championships were successfully held at the Shanghai Qingpu Dianshan Lake Water Sports Center, marking China's first time hosting this world-class water event. As one of the most influential competitions in international water sports, this edition attracted 1,203 top athletes from 55 countries and regions to compete.
Above: Zou Jiaqi/Fu Ling won China's first gold medal of the event
On the first finals day, September 25, the host Chinese team "took the lead" by claiming the first two non-Olympic gold medals: Zou Jiaqi/Fu Ling won the women's lightweight double sculls; Li Yawei/Sun Man added another gold for China in the men's lightweight double sculls final.
Above: Former Chinese national rowing team athlete, event ambassador, and famous model Hu Bing poses with the gold medal-winning Chinese duo Li Yawei/Sun Man in the men's lightweight double sculls.
World Rowing Federation President Jean-Christophe Rolland believes that this World Championships is an excellent opportunity to promote rowing in China. "We hope to promote rowing through different channels and attract more people, especially young people, to participate."
Looking back at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, the Chinese rowing team won six gold medals, demonstrating its leading strength in Asia. However, despite its competitive achievements, public participation in rowing is still in its infancy. According to a report by Beijing Business Today, a youth training director described rowing as a sport "more niche than equestrian".
Two years later, with the rise of the "water-friendly economy" in various regions, rowing is quietly gaining popularity across the country. According to CCTV News, this summer, Zhejiang hosted nearly 20 water events per week, with a total of over 200 water activities throughout the season.
Above: The 2025 Zhejiang Provincial Youth Rowing Championships held in Quzhou in September
Notably, the upstream core of the rowing industry chain is concentrated in the Fuyang and Chun'an areas of Zhejiang. Fuyang, as an important domestic rowing production base, is home to one of the world's largest rowing manufacturers, with a global market share of over 16%.
Similar to the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta region is also actively leveraging its abundant water resources to develop water sports. Shaoguan, Guangdong—the hometown of Qiu Xiuping, the first gold medalist of the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games and a renowned rower—is accelerating its application to become a high-quality outdoor sports destination, striving to build a sports brand as the "City of Rowing".
Shaoguan's forest coverage rate reaches 74.59%, ranking first in the province. According to the city government's official website, the compliance rate of major local rivers is 100%, making it the only city in Guangdong without black and odorous water bodies, providing excellent natural conditions for water sports such as rowing and dragon boat racing. A relevant official stated that they will fully utilize water resources to host international events and promote the development of public water leisure activities.
Drawing on the experience of coastal cities, inland regions are also actively promoting the popularization of water sports. In 2023, Chengdu's Xinglong Lake, along with Chongqing's Hanfeng Lake and Ningxia's Sand Lake, was selected as one of the first batch of national pilot units for water (maritime) national leisure sports centers.
To welcome the World Games, the Chengdu Eastern New Area has built multiple competition venues along Sancha Lake to host four events, including power surfing, and uses a full-cycle event management concept to guide citizen participation, transforming the event's impact into public benefits.
The 2025 Chengdu Rowing Open, to be held in October, will further extend the World Games momentum. In addition to high-level competitions, the event will feature nine supporting activities, including power surfing performances and kayaking experiences, linking multiple cultural and tourism sites to create a water-land sports feast.
At the same time, rowing is gradually being integrated into the school system. In Shenyang, rowing has been incorporated into the physical education curriculum of primary and secondary schools. The Hunnan District invested 13 million yuan to equip all its primary and secondary schools with ergometers and built five rowing tanks, achieving "every one of the 40,000 students can take rowing classes". The Heping District has established six rowing specialty schools, and the Municipal Education Bureau organizes an annual youth invitational tournament covering over 30 school teams.
As awareness of rowing continues to grow, cities such as Wuhan, Qingdao, Kunming, and Nanchang are also leveraging their local water resources to actively introduce private clubs, host amateur events and experience activities, promoting rowing from professional arenas into public life.
World Rowing Federation Executive Director Vincent Gaillard recently stated that efforts to promote rowing in China will be further intensified in the future, including launching Chinese social media accounts, strengthening cooperation with various cities, and continuing to host high-level events to help Chinese rowing move towards a broader stage of development.
| Sources: China News Service; Xinhua News Agency; 21st Century Business Herald
| Image sources: WeChat accounts "Shanghai Sports", "Zhejiang Water Sports", "Shaoguan Ecological Environment Bureau", "Chengdu Eastern New Area", "Shenyang International Rowing Center"