By Prosper Makene
Dar es Salaam has embraced traditional Chinese culture on Saturday with its annual celebration of the Dragon Boat Festival, making a splash in Tanzania's commercial capital.
The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Duanwu Festival, traditionally falls on the fifth day of the fifth month in the Chinese lunar calendar. It was celebrated this year on May 31.
During the festival in Masaki area in Dar es Salaam, people enjoy activities such as eating Zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) to commemorate Qu Yuan, a revered Chinese poet and statesman of the Warring States period (475 B.C.-221 B.C.).
Speaking at first edition, organized by CRJE (East Africa) Ltd in Dar es Salaam, CRJE Director Jiang Yuntao said that the event was also meant to promote cultural exchange and mutual understanding between China and Tanzania.
“As you see this event has attracted a large number of Tanzanians and foreign friends, who gathered to experience the unique charm of the Festival,” he said.
“This Festival is also known as the “Duanwu Festival”, is one of our four major traditional festivals, with a history of over 2,000 years. It was established to commemorate the patriotic poet Qu Yuan from the Warring States period of China. On the fifth day of the fifth month in the lunar calendar each year, the Chinese celebrate by making and eating zongzi (rice dumplings), racing dragon boats, wearing sachets, and hanging mugwort leaves, all of which are believed to bring good health, ward off evil, and prevent disease,” he said.
He added: “In 2009, the Dragon Boat Festival was included in UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, becoming an important window for the world to learn about Chinese culture.”
However, other nationals who attended the festival described the event as "overwhelming" in the best way. "It's possibly the most awesome thing that we've seen. And it's absolutely fantastic," a Tanzanian John William told reporters at the event.
He emphasized the festival's role in bridging cultures. "It's possibly one of the greatest opportunities to just allow other people and different cultures to interact and show what we have in common, which is a lot more than what we have as a difference," said William.
Reflecting on the broader significance of the event, he said, "I think the way we have conducted the event, which is intertwined with Chinese culture, has really facilitated a fantastic dialogue with Chinese culture in Tanzania, and an understanding of how things are different and similar between the two different cultures."
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