Dragon Boat Festival celebrated across China through fun activities

Various fun activities celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival were taking place across China, engaging both residents and tourists in folk customs and festive atmosphere.

The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu Festival, is a traditional Chinese holiday observed on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar. The festival fell on May 31 this year.

During the festival, people enjoy various activities such as dragon boat races and eating zongzi - sticky rice dumplings wrapped in broad bamboo leaves.

During the three-day holiday, popular scenic spots were bustling with tourists participating in a variety of festive activities.

The Hukou Waterfall on the Yellow River on the border area between north China's Shanxi and northwest China's Shaanxi provinces, has just entered its best viewing season. The scenic spot launched themed events to celebrate the festival, featuring activities such as dry-land dragon boat race and drumming competition.

The 1,400-year-old Jinci, the most prominent temple complex in north China's Shanxi Province, hosted various events to welcome the influx of tourists during the holiday, including dance performances and folk music showcases.

At the Qinghai Lake, the country's largest inland saltwater lake in northwest China, tourists enjoyed the stunning view of the lake and took photos with local water birds, fully immersing themselves in the beauty of nature.

Shibing County in southwest China's Guizhou Province organized a series of festive activities such as parades and long-table banquets, enabling both residents and tourists to celebrate the unique charm of the traditional festival together.

In a modern agricultural technology demonstration park in Shuangyashan City of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, nearly five hectares of blooming rapeseed flowers attracted tourists to explore and take beautiful photos.

Wuhan City of central China's Hubei Province hosted a robot carnival event, with more than 100 interactive robots that offered tourists an engaging and innovative experience.

As night fell, various nighttime activities and light shows were staged, displaying the allure of the evening.

Spectacular fireworks and drone light shows featuring the Dragon Boat Festival were staged in Rudong County of east China's Jiangsu Province, wowing visitors with magnificent scenes.

In the ancient city of Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, a drone light show featuring 1,000 drones created all kinds of gorgeous images and patterns that illuminated the night sky.

Dragon Boat Festival celebrated across China through fun activities

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is deeply concerned about the U.S. rhetoric suggesting possible intervention in the situation in Iran, urging all parties to pursue diplomacy and dialogue in line with the principles of the UN Charter, his spokesperson said on Monday.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that his administration is weighing "some very strong options," including potential military action against Iran amid the unrest across the Middle East country.

At a press briefing Monday at the UN Headquarters in New York, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, conveyed Guterres' alarm over the remarks.

"The rhetoric that we've heard around the situation in Iran, which is concerning to him (Guterres), and he encourages all to adopt a path of diplomacy and dialogue," said Dujarric.

"We push for dialogue, and I think the [UN] Charter is very clear on your question," Dujarric said when asked whether foreign intervention might help resolve the crisis. The UN Charter enshrines core principles including the sovereign equality of all states, non-intervention in the affairs of other states, and the peaceful settlement of disputes.

These norms were further reinforced by the 1970 Declaration on Principles of International Law, adopted by the UN General Assembly, which explicitly states that no state or group of states has the right to intervene, directly or indirectly, for any reason whatever, in the internal or external affairs of any other state.

Protests have erupted in several Iranian cities since late December over the sharp fall in the national currency rial and long-standing economic hardships. The reported death toll from the unrest on both sides of the security forces and civilians is mounting.

UN chief urges diplomacy amid US military threats against Iran: spokesperson