As the Dragon Boat Festival is right around the corner and falls on June 10 this year, overseas Chinese living in different parts of the world are busy celebrating this traditional Chinese festival in their own ways. In countries with a significant number of overseas Chinese, such as Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, many of them like to incorporate local cultural elements and special ingredients into their seasonal cuisines and festival activities, making these celebrations even more diverse.
Malaysia
"In my family, we really go all out for the Dragon Boat Festival. A week before the festival, my mom starts making zongzi (rice dumplings). The zongzi we make usually feature various flavors, such as meat zongzi, alkaline water zongzi, and Nyonya zongzi. Many Chinese Malaysians enjoy making their own zongzi, exchanging them with relatives and neighbors, and sharing their secret recipes for the fillings," expressed Chen Ailing, CEO of The Wiser and a third-generation Chinese Malaysian.
Malaysian Nyonya zongzi
Chen mentioned that Nyonya zongzi is popular in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Malacca, as well as in Singapore and Indonesia. It is made by using blue pea flowers as a natural dye to turn the white glutinous rice blue. This light blue appearance, resembling Chinese blue-and-white porcelain, adds to its beauty and charm.
Most of the overseas Chinese living in Malaysia originate from China's Guangdong, Fujian, and Hainan. The well-developed Chinese education system in Malaysia has allowed traditional Chinese culture to thrive in this region.
Malaysia is home to over seven million overseas Chinese. As the Dragon Boat Festival approaches, in cities with a large number of overseas Chinese, such as Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and Malacca, local Chinese people will organize activities like dragon boat races and making zongzi.
Singapore
In Singapore, the Dragon Boat Festival holds great importance for the local overseas Chinese community, with various Chinese associations organizing a wide range of celebrations. Among these, the dragon boat races stand out as the liveliest, with a colorful history that spans over 40 years.
Since 1978, the dragon boat races hosted by the Singapore Dragon Boat Association have become an annual highlight of the region's Dragon Boat Festival celebrations. The competition not only showcases Singapore's vibrant dragon boat culture but also serves as a platform for local and international teams to interact and compete.
Through these races, Singapore has greatly promoted the sport of dragon boat racing to foster cultural exchange and integration among people from different countries and ethnic groups. This year's dragon boat races will take place on June 22 and 23.
Wang Yunkai, the Art Director of the Nanyang Calligraphy Centre in Singapore, with ancestral roots tracing back to China's Hainan, said that Singapore's zongzi is characterized by multicultural heritage through its diversity. Besides categorizing zongzi by flavor into sweet vegetarian and savory meat varieties, they are also classified by region. For example, among the six main types of savory meat zongzi are Nyonya meat zongzi, Fujian meat zongzi, Guangdong meat zongzi, Teochew meat zongzi, Hakka black-eyed pea zongzi, and Hainan meat zongzi.
Indonesia
"The Dragon Boat Festival activities celebrated in Indonesia are also quite colorful. Dragon boat racing and eating zongzi are customary celebrations. While Indonesian zongzi may not include as many varieties as those in China, they often incorporate a very spicy red or green chili pepper in the filling, which not only adds a striking color but also suits the locals' taste," said Ruan Yuanchun (Steve Yenadhira), the Chairman of the Indonesian Calligraphers Association and Co-chairman of the Overseas Chinese Calligraphers Association.
People in Indonesia race dragon boat to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival
Every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, people of all ages in Pontianak go to the Kapuas River between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. to luxuriate in the calming waters. Children have fun playing by filling bags with water and tossing them at each other. When returning home, everyone brings some river water back with them, as it is believed to bring peace and blessings.
The United States
Duan Zhaonan, a Chinese American and Director of the Silicon Valley Art Museum, noted that every year for the Dragon Boat Festival, his family would order zongzi, salted duck eggs, and other items a month in advance. Additionally, friends and relatives would hang calamus and wormwood leaves on doors on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival to repel insects, flies, fleas, and moths. To preserve cultural heritage, many Chinese schools conduct craft activities, such as paper-cutting of tiger heads, during the festival. Duan added that their art museum would also hold themed workshops where participants learn to paint zongzi, wormwood, and dragon boats.
Duan also noted that, according to media reports from previous years, dragon boat races in major US cities usually take place in late July or early August. Events like the Boston Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival and the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York attract hundreds of teams from around the world to compete every year.
Reporter | Nancy Ye
Editor | Will, James
Photo provided to GDToday
