It has been a tradition since ancient times that when the greatest bore of the Qiantang River occurs each year, there are always some dare-devil young men who try to ride the crest of the waves, holding red banners in their hands. The Song Dynasty poet Su Shi describes this scene in a poem that reads: "The bore of the eighteenth day of the eighth month has no parallel under the heaven  Red banners and dark blue jackets are now in view and now hidden,  and black sands and white waves are locked  in a fight to swallow each other."

The spectacular tidal bore of the Qiantang River releases a kind of power that seems at odds with the water country south of the Yangtze River that is marked by gentleness and elegance. Yet it exists as a mystic reminder of some lesser known traits deeply embedded in the character of the people in this region: resoluteness, bravery and the courage to do things that nobody has ever attempted.