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Chinese ‘Dragon Boat Festival’ celebrated in Colombo (Pics)
The Chinese ‘Dragon Boat Festival’ or the ‘Duanwu’ festival, was celebrated at the Port City clubhouse in Colombo yesterday evening (18).
Chinese expats as well as Sri Lankans joined the event, which also featured several cultural performances.
The ribbon cutting by the Chinese ambassador in Sri Lanka – Mr. Qi Zhenhong, signified the commencement of the Dragon Boat racing. Several instances of the event are shown below.
Visitors were also served ‘Zongzi’, a special triangular rice dumpling parceled in a leaf, which is traditionally eaten during the ‘Duanwu’ festival. Zongzi fillings vary across China, with Northerners preferring sweet fillings like bean paste or dates, while Southerners prefer more savoury fillings.
Duanwu usually falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar. “Duan” means beginning while “Wu” means five, referring to the fifth month.
Check out the history of the ‘Duanwu’ festival and how it is celebrated in modern China.
(Pics : Shanika Jayasekara)