Communities in Canada and Brazil came alive with Dragon Boat Festival celebrations, featuring vibrant cultural activities and exhilarating races that connected locals with cherished traditions.
The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu Festival, is a traditional Chinese holiday to commemorate ancient Chinese poet Qu Yuan from the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.). Celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, the festival falls on May 31 this year.
During the festival, people engage in various activities such as dragon boat races and eating zongzi -- sticky rice dumplings wrapped in broad bamboo leaves.
On Saturday, a dragon boat race took place in Vancouver, Canada. Despite heavy rain and low temperatures, 125 teams from diverse regions and age groups participated in the competition.
"Well, the weather could be better obviously. But no, I'm excited for today's events. This is a great sport. It's good exercise and it's a great team building," said a contestant.
In addition to the dragon boat races, various cultural and entertainment activities to showcase traditional Chinese culture were also organized, giving local people an opportunity to learn more about the festival.
"When we were waiting under the tent, we saw the drummers and the [dancing] lion went by, so that was very exciting," said a contestant.
"They (zongzi) remind me of traditional Mexican cuisine, like tamales. I feel they are similarly wrapped in the leaf and then it's [kind of] similar." said another contestant.
On the same day, Sao Paulo in Brazil also hosted two thrilling dragon boat races, drawing a large crowd of spectators.
"Although I've been rowing for a long time, I have never seen any boat like a dragon boat. I am truly drawn to it. Even before it hits the water, the dragon boat is stunning," said Alexandra, a contestant.
Dragon Boat Festival brings communities together in Canada, Brazil
