Cultural events held in countries around world to celebrate Dragon Boat Festival

China

Cultural events held in countries around world to celebrate Dragon Boat Festival

2025-05-31 20:59 Last Updated At：21:37

New Zealand, Poland and the Republic of the Congo hosted vibrant cultural events on Friday to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, offering local people a taste of traditional Chinese culture.

The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Duanwu Festival, falls on Saturday this year. It is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month in the Chinese lunar calendar to commemorate the ancient Chinese patriotic poet Qu Yuan (about 340-278 BC).

A Dragon Boat Festival-themed cultural event was held in Christchurch, New Zealand. Co-hosted by the Chinese Consulate General in Christchurch, the Confucius Institute at the University of Canterbury, and local Chinese communities, the event attracted over 600 overseas Chinese and people from all walks of life across the country.

The event came alive with captivating performances blending Chinese and Western musical instruments, enchanting children's dances, and hands-on cultural workshops, creating a vibrant atmosphere of cultural exchange.

"That is special because it teaches us about the values of this particular culture and about remembrance and about unity and about family and about celebration. And it's very deep and it's very rich and it's very special. And it's nice for us to share this because these values, they go across all of our cultures. When we share traditions like this, it's about sharing our cultures and it's about uniting us and learning from each other," said Victoria Henstock, a resident.

Guided by the Chinese Embassy in Poland, a cultural exchange event between Chinese and Polish youth was held in Warsaw. The event was jointly organized by the Chinese Students and Scholars Association in Poland and the Student Union of SWPS University.

Chinese students from the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music and the University of Warsaw delivered outstanding performances of Chinese classical pieces, including "Fisherman's Song at Dusk" and "Li Sao."

The event also featured a traditional cultural experience, where Chinese and Polish students made zongzi -- a dumpling made of glutinous rice and wrapped in reed leaves, typically eaten on Dragon Boat Festival.

"II think this event was truly wonderful and the preparation was excellent. Today, I participated in all kinds of activities, such as tea brewing, making tea bags, scented sachets, and zongzi. I also enjoyed many outstanding talent performances. I thought it was incredibly meaningful," said a local student, speaking in fluent Chinese.

In the Republic of the Congo, nearly 100 students attended a Dragon Boat Festival celebration at the Confucius Institute of Marien Ngouabi University in Brazzaville, where they assembled dragon boat puzzles and ate zongzi. Many also expressed a desire to study in China and explore more of Chinese culture.

"I participated in the Dragon Boat Festival activities today and experienced the charm of the festival. By taking part in this event, we learned a lot of history, including the history of Qu Yuan. I hope to learn more about Chinese culture and gain a deeper understanding of many aspects of China," said Elenga Gedeon Succes, a student who was also able to express himself in the Chinese language.

US strike hits Venezuelan port, wrecking medical supplies, heritage building

A major port in northern Venezuela came under U.S. airstrikes in the early hours of January 3, which caused extensive damage to civilian infrastructure, destroyed critical medical supplies in a warehouse, and severely impacted centuries-old cultural heritage sites, according to local residents.

The La Guaira Port, a vital hub for imports that support daily life in the region, was heavily damaged during the attack.

Large quantities of medical supplies stored at the port were destroyed. A historic cultural building dating back for some 300 years was also badly damaged by the bombardment.

Residents living near the port recalled the terrifying scenes as explosions shook nearby neighborhoods.

Humberto Bolivar, who lives in a community separated from the port by only a main road, said the blast waves shattered his home's windows, while stray shrapnel struck the water tank on his roof. According to reports, three missiles were fired at the port that night.

Bolivar said that beyond material losses, he is most concerned about the psychological impact on his children, who remain too frightened to leave their home days after the attack.

"The United States invaded our country. The children were frightened. This is not good for them, because it leaves some children with psychological trauma. They do not want to go to school or leave the house, because they are afraid that something worse might happen. We truly do not want this to happen to our country," he said.

Apart from civilian facilities, local cultural heritage site was also affected.

The La Guaira state government building, a structure with nearly 300 years of history and once served as the site of Venezuela's first national customs office, was struck by the force of the explosions.

Windows of the building were shattered, and furniture scattered across the floor.

"As people of La Guaira, we feel deep pain. Our cultural heritage has been bombed. We are living in constant anxiety and suffering, and life can no longer be the same as it was before," said a local named Henry Cumares.

The U.S. side has claimed the airstrikes targeted warehouses allegedly used to store narcotics. However, locals refuted such accusation.

"According to what Donald Trump said, they bombed this place using the excuse that the warehouses here were used to store drugs at the port. But based on the video released by our governor, these warehouses that were burned contained medicine for kidney patients and foods. Many people depend on these supplies to survive. I think the bombing is extremely despicable," said a local resident named Alejandro Capriles.