Residents in south China's Guangdong Province and east China's Zhejiang Province celebrated the Dragon Boat Festival with a rich array of distinctive local traditions.
With a history of more than 2,000 years, the Dragon Boat Festival is a national holiday celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar every year, honoring Qu Yuan (about 340-278 BC), a famous poet from the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) who is known for his patriotism and contributions to classical verses.
This year, the Dragon Boat Festival was celebrated on May 31, and the holiday runs from May 31 to June 2.
Dragon boat racing and eating zongzi, a glutinous rice dumpling wrapped in bamboo leaves, are common traditions during the time-honored Dragon Boat Festival. However, in some parts of China, people mark the occasion in unique and locally distinctive ways.
In Shunde District of Foshan City, Guangdong Province, residents celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival by splashing water on one another during dragon boat races.
"It's fun, because I like water, and this is different from the traditional Water-Splashing Festival," said a tourist from Ethiopia.
Accompanied by the rhythmic beating of drums, nearly 80 dragon boats made their way slowly along the century-old waterway as more than 2,000 paddlers rowed with vigor. Onshore, tourists joined in the fun by splashing each other with water guns, basins, and other tools, creating a refreshing and festive atmosphere.
"I wanted to bring [my child] here to experience the water-splashing tradition. The Dragon Boat Festival tradition here is called Youlong, which is entirely different from [regular dragon boat races]. It's a lot of fun, and my baby also really enjoyed it," said a tourist.
"Guanniu," a traditional bullfighting performance listed as a national intangible cultural heritage item, is a time-honored event held annually during the Dragon Boat Festival in Jiaxing City, east China's Jiangsu Province.
The 14th Guanniu Bullfighting Competition took place on Friday night, one day ahead of this year's Dragon Boat Festival, and for the first time featured international participants.
"The bull is very strong. The bull doesn't want to fall down. But we learned from the master who taught us the technique, so this is a good experience for us," said Michael John Steedman, a participant from New Zealand.
People in Guangdong, Zhejiang celebrate Dragon Boat Festival with distinct local traditions
The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.
In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.
"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.
Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.
The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."
Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.
President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.
Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.
Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.
The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.
Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests
