Tianjin's Dragon Boat races thrill city at Mid-Autumn Festival

On Thursday morning, everything started to take on a more earnest feel, for training sessions would take place. The TICT team was scheduled to commence their practices at 7am. Amazingly I found walking along the Haihe banks at 6:30 am a fascinating experience, for many locals were already out fishing or exercising. Certainly their presence would create fascinating contrasts with the teams going through their pre-race drills. All morning I was scouting around the riverbanks and on the bridges trying to find the top locations for great action photography. Meanwhile many locals, heading to work, were looking intensely at me. They were pondering what I was doing staring across the river with my camera so early in the morning! Later I would watch the intensity with which some Polish athletes, calling themselves 'The Dragons of the North', went through exercise drills before taking to the water. They, along with all teams, were serious competitors for the real action would take place next morning.