Military training is the first large scale training for nearly every Chinese university freshman. This year, newcomers to Tongji University are experiencing new interesting programs beside the traditional routine ones like standing at attention, marching and turning in formation as well as singing military anthems.

A dragon boat race, a traditional Chinese holiday activity at the Dragon Boat Festival, has been introduced for the first time to this year’s military drilling in Tongji university. Freshmen students are seen competing fiercely and excitedly on a river in the university as part of the rigid military educationbefore academic studies.

To improve students’ muscle strength, rowing machine training was also conducted before the real water competition.