The rowing team of Shanghai Jiaotong University practices on the newly built track in its campus on April 6, 2016. [Photo: sjtu.edu.cn]

Shanghai Jiaotong University has built a rowing track in its campus, the first of its kind in China, according to news portal thepaper.cn on Thursday.

The 800-meter-long track, developed from a natural water canal, is located at the university's campus in Minhang district.

The university also signed a cooperation agreement with the China Rowing Association to cultivate professional rowing athletes and promote rowing among university students.

Rowing is a long-standing game included in the Olympics.

The sport is also well-known due to the annual competition between Britain's Oxford University and Cambridge University who have been holding the event since 1829.

China's Peking University and Tsinghua University held a similar competition in 1998.

However, it carried on for only 10 years.

Shanghai Jiaotong University said it also plans to introduce the rowing competition seen among the world's prestigious universities to China.