Duanwu Festival boosts Zongzi market across China

The upcoming Duanwu Festival, also known as the Dragon Boat Festival, has boosted the consumption of Zongzi, a Chinese traditional food made of sticky rice and other stuffing wrapped in bamboo leaves, across China, with producers and sellers engaged in enriching the flavors to satisfying people's taste buds.

The Duanwu Festival, which falls on the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese lunar calendar, will be celebrated on Saturday (May 31) this year.

In east China's Shandong Province, Zongzi of traditional flavors and other healthy customized Zongzi have attracted many consumers.

At a supermarket in Heze City of Shandong, the Zongzi sales area near the entrance has been the most prominent, with traditional ones stuffed with red bean paste and preserved dates in the central position. Besides, innovative ones stuffed with Chinese yam and walnuts are also sparking people's interests in tasting them.

"I'd like to buy some Zongzi with less sugar and fat for the elderly in my family," said Wang Shiying, a consumer.

"We prepared Zongzi for Duanwu two weeks ahead of the festival. We set up a special area with Zongzi of various flavors put together for consumers to select," said Zhang Cheng, manager of the supermarket.

Besides finished Zongzi, the supermarket also sells ingredients including sticky rice, bamboo leaves and dates for consumers to make Zongzi by themselves at home.

Restaurants in Shitang Town of Wenling City, east China's Zhejiang Province, have stuffed Zongzi with meat and seafood to offer customers with more options.

"Our Zongzi is stuffed with meat, shrimps, razor clams, mushroom and peanut," said Lin Xiuyu, a restaurant owner.

Lin said they began to make Zongzi half a month before the festival, and their products still falls short of the demand though they can make around 800 ones every day.

In southwest China's Yunnan Province, Zongzi leaves have become new important products for border trade at the Hekou Port.

At a local agricultural company, workers are busy sorting out, processing and packaging Zongzi leaves imported from Vietnam for refrigerated storage. These leaves will be sent to markets in northeast and east China.

Duanwu Festival boosts Zongzi market across China

China's research icebreaker Xuelong, or Snow Dragon, departed Christchurch, New Zealand for the 42nd Antarctic Expedition on Thursday after completing resupply operations.

The vessel arrived at New Zealand's Lyttelton Port Sunday evening.

During its stay in Lyttelton, the vessel took on 1,200 tons of light oil and replenished supplies including vegetables, fruits, and fresh water.

The light oil will be brought to China's Zhongshan Station in Antarctica, exclusively for fixed-wing aircraft.

Thirty four new crew members boarded the ship in Lyttelton to commence oceanographic operations.

The supplies of fruit, vegetables and other food items include not only items for the Xuelong crew but are also destined for the Qinling Station.

"The Qinling Station has a longer overwintering period, so they will run out of fruits later in the season. To better support their daily needs, we've replenished large quantities of green vegetables, fruits, beverages, as well as beef and mutton," said Li Donghui, the service team leader of the Xuelong vessel.

During its port call, the Xuelong also completed a freshwater replenishment of approximately 600 tons. The freshwater is primarily for drinking and kitchen use, serving as vital daily supplies for the expedition team during their subsequent fieldwork.

China's Xuelong icebreaker leaves New Zealand for Antarctic expedition after replenishment