An event marking the upcoming Chinese Duanwu Festival, also known as the Dragon Boat Festival, was held by the Confucius Institute at Ricardo Palma University in Lima, Peru on Wednesday, immersing local students in Chinese cultural vibes.
The festival, always celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese lunar calendar, will fall on Saturday (May 31) this year.
The event began with Chinese teachers telling local students about the origin of the festival, the stories of patriotic Chinese poet Qu Yuan, and customs like the dragon boat race and eating zongzi.
At a dragon boat design competition held amid the celebration, there was a variety of works featuring a good combination of Chinese and Peruvian cultural elements created by students.
The most outstanding dragon boat design was the largest green one which won the top prize in the competition.
"A dragon boat consists of several parts, including the keel, the dragon neck and tail. Besides, we have added some details which represent both Chinese and Peruvian cultures. We have also integrated it with the cultural elements of the festival, such as the zongzi that people eat on the Dragon Boat Festival. In addition, we have put in representative Chinese cultural symbols such as the panda, as well as elements of Peru like the llama. They symbolize the friendship between China and Peru," said Emily Moreano Francia, designer of the dragon boat.
A tug-of-war competition held at the event allowed Peruvian students to experience the joy of teamwork in laughter.
Another highlight at the event was zongzi, a traditional Duanwu Festival food made of sticky rice and various fillings wrapped in bamboo leaves. The delicious zongzi of different flavors satisfied the taste buds of the Peruvian student a lot, sparking their interest in Chinese food culture.
"This event is a great opportunity for students to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture. We hope that they will not just be spectators, but truly active participants. We not only spread language and culture, but also hope to help students understand and practice Chinese values that can be shared across cultures, and meanwhile integrate them into our own culture," said Cecilia Tello, director of the Confucius Institute at Ricardo Palma University.
Duanwu Festival event immerses Peruvian university students in Chinese cultural vibes
A military expert said that the latest live-fire exercises around Taiwan Island, code-named "Justice Mission 2025," are marked by immediate engagement in live-fire drills, a multidimensional blockade strategy, and unified control over Taiwan and surrounding waters.
In an interview with China Central Television (CCTV), Meng Xiangqing, a professor at the National Defense University of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), outlined four significant highlights of the ongoing drills, which began on Monday.
"The most striking highlight is the immediate engagement in live-fire drills from the outset. In previous exercises, while we conducted live-fire drills, there were times when such drills were absent, which was normal depending on varying exercise requirements. In this exercise, our military, including Army, Navy, Air Force and Rocket Force troops, rapidly deployed capabilities around Taiwan's northern, southeastern, and eastern areas, followed by live-fire exercises. Our artillery featured simulated strikes on moving targets at sea and on land. This is a significant highlight, showcasing our troops' readiness for battle at all times, their capability for combat at all times, and their assurance of victory, and their capability to seamlessly transition from training to combat," he said.
"The second highlight, which is also a central theme of this exercise, is the multidimensional blockade and control strategy. All branches of our military, including the Coast Guard, implemented multidimensional blockade and control measures at crucial ports and regions of Taiwan. According to the latest updates from the Eastern Theater Command this morning, these measures continue be to a vital part of today's exercises. For instance, the designation of two areas in northern Taiwan aims to execute control around the important Keelung Port, while in the southeast, the blockade targets Kaohsiung and the Zuoying maritime and airspace routes, effectively cutting off key ports, areas and military bases critical to Taiwan separatist forces, thereby establishing a 'closing the door to beat the dog' strategy," Meng said.
"The third highlight is that, from yesterday to today, the Fujian Coast Guard has engaged in law enforcement operation near Taiwan Island and surrounding waters, including attached islets, establishing unified control over these areas. This represents a new breakthrough. I particularly noticed that the areas under control have expanded, according to several pieces of information released by the Coast Guard yesterday, including a poster depicting the extent of our multidimensional control yesterday. Under one-China principle, this reaffirms China's sovereignty and security while underscoring the inviolability of our territory," he said.
"The fourth highlight is the demonstration of coordinated operations among the various units participating in the exercises. This included maritime assaults, ground strikes, air defense and anti-submarine operations, validating the strong combat capabilities of our military," the expert added.
Military expert shares key highlights of PLA live-fire drills
