Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, June 9
On June 8, a woman participated in the Zongzi wrapping competition in Malacca, Malaysia. On the same day, Malacca, Malaysia held a series of activities of “Celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival in 2024”, and people greeted the Loong Boat Festival by wrapping Zongzi and touring Loong Boat. Xinhua Social Development (Photo by Zhang Wenzong)
The Dragon Boat Festival approaches mid summer, with clear hours and long days. Chinese people race Loong Boat, eat Zongzi, wear sachets, hang wormwood and calamus to welcome the Dragon Boat Festival. At the same time, the Loong Boat race is also staged around the world. Between the splashing oaring competitions, the profound connotation of Chinese culture and the rich and diverse humanistic traditions of countries around the world are intertwined, playing the symphony of the integration of diverse cultures of the world.
Loong Boat Festival is one of the four traditional festivals in China. In 2009, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) listed the Loong Boat Festival on the list of representative works of human intangible cultural heritage, which is the first festival in China to be included in the world intangible cultural heritage. In recent years, the popularity of Chinese culture has been growing, and the Loong Boat Festival has also resonated at home and abroad.
In recent years, people from different cultural backgrounds have participated in the Dragon Boat Festival celebration activities together, drawing cultural nourishment through communication and exchange. International friends can be seen everywhere in the Loong Boat Festival activities held in many places in China. Bangladeshi student Akai participated in the Dragon Boat Festival Intangible Cultural Heritage Experience in Chongqing to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese customs; Jia Nan, a Türkiye girl, has lived in Tianjin for many years. She feels the strength of struggle and unity in the Loong Boat competition; When Chahayag, the leader of the Philippine Bugakamen Loong Boat Team, participated in the 2024 China ASEAN International Loong Boat Open, he said that China is the birthplace of Loong Boat activities. For their young players, it is a “dream fulfilling trip” to participate in the Loong Boat Race in China.
Before the Dragon Boat Festival this year, the Dutch overseas Chinese held the Loong Boat Festival, and the lion dance was brilliant; The first Frankfurt International Loong Boat Friendship Race was held in Germany, and the riverside of the Meiyin River was bustling with excitement… Across regional, linguistic, national, cultural and other differences, the Loong Boat Festival went to the world with oars to meet friends, demonstrating its unique charm to people and reflecting the civilization pursuit and spiritual outlook of contemporary Chinese people.
The process of globalization is accelerating, and cultural exchanges have gradually become an important form of interaction between countries. Cultural and sports exchange activities are becoming increasingly diverse, providing a larger stage for people to connect with each other, further deepening mutual understanding among countries, promoting mutual respect among people, and making contributions to promoting the integration of different cultures and the exchange and learning of different civilizations. Joseph, Mayor of Frankfurt, delivered a speech at the first Frankfurt International Loong Boat Friendship Competition, saying that enthusiastic people to people exchanges, thriving cultural exchanges and scientific research cooperation have enabled the people of Germany and China to enhance understanding, mutual benefit and win-win results.
On May 25, in Frankfurt, Germany, the Loong Boat team competed on the Main River. The first Frankfurt International Loong Boat Friendship Competition and the opening ceremony of the 2024 Frankfurt China Festival were held on the same day. Loong Boat teams from China, Germany, Italy and other countries competed on the same stage. The colorful Chinese cultural performances attracted a large number of audiences. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Fan
The increasing popularity of traditional Chinese culture on a global scale is also a vivid manifestation of China’s soft power enhancement. In recent years, the unique charm of Chinese culture has become increasingly prominent in the exchange and collision with different civilizations. The ideological concepts, humanistic spirit, and moral norms contained in Chinese culture are not only the core of Chinese people’s thinking and spirit, but their important value in solving human problems is also increasingly recognized by the international community. China actively builds a platform for dialogue and exchange among different civilizations, creating opportunities for the common prosperity and development of different civilizations with the strong vitality of economic development. A trustworthy, lovely, and respectable image of China is gradually established in the international community, constantly showcasing the diverse charm and vibrant vitality of Chinese culture to the world.
This year’s Loong Boat Festival coincides with the International Day of Dialogue among Civilizations just established by the United Nations. On the 7th, the 78th United Nations General Assembly unanimously passed the resolution proposed by China to establish the International Day of Dialogue among Civilizations, declaring June 10th as the International Day of Dialogue among Civilizations. The integration and mutual learning among countries in cultural exchange are important prerequisites for a better life for people and a harmonious and safe world home. Chinese civilization will work together with civilizations of other countries to fully play the role of cultural bonds connecting the world, provide correct spiritual guidance and strong spiritual power for humanity, and make greater contributions to world peace and development.