China’s Consul General in Kolkata, Xu Wei, has expressed optimism on the future of India-China trade relations. He welcomed the return of the Dragon Boat Festival in Kolkata after 6 years, calling it a symbol of unity and cooperation between the two countries.
Kolkata (West Bengal) [भारत]July 12 (ANI): China’s Consul General in Kolkata, Xu Wei, has expressed optimism about the future of India-China trade relations. He said both countries would benefit from stronger economic cooperation and increased exchanges. He told ANI, “China and India’s trade relations are moving forward. As long as both China and India can benefit from these trade relations, we hope that both countries can derive significant and fruitful benefits from each other’s policies in the near future. Hopefully, we will see more Chinese businessmen coming to India in the coming years.”
Dragon Boat Festival returns after 6 years
Xu Wei also welcomed the resumption of the traditional Dragon Boat Festival in Kolkata after a gap of six years. He described the event as a symbol of unity, cultural exchange and cooperation between the Chinese and Indian communities. Xu Wei said, “It is fascinating to see that the Chinese community has brought dragon boat racing back to Kolkata after a six-year break. You can see that many people have joined us today. They are cheering for this competition, and we are very happy that four boats are competing today. Each boat has different players – not only Chinese participants but also Indian friends who have joined together. It represents the spirit of unity and cooperation. It is the spirit of dragon boat that inspires us. I hope that in the years to come, we can keep this deep tradition alive and bring more people together to celebrate this festival.”
What is the history of Dragon Boat Festival?
According to UNESCO, from the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, many ethnic groups in China and around the world celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, especially in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Celebrations vary from region to region, but they generally share many characteristics. A memorial ceremony offering sacrifice to a local hero is combined with sporting events such as dragon boat races and willow shooting; feasts of rice dumplings, eggs and ruby sulfur wine; and folk entertainment including opera, song and the unicorn dance.
The hero celebrated varies by region: the Romantic poet Qu Yuan is worshiped in Hubei and Hunan provinces, Wu Zixu in eastern China, an old man in Guizhou province who is said to have died while slaying a dragon, and Yan Hongwo among the Dai community in Yunnan province. Participants also ward off evil during the festival by bathing in flower-scented water, wearing five-colored silk, hanging plants such as moxa and calamus on their doors, and pasting paper cut-outs in their windows. The Dragon Boat Festival strengthens bonds within families and establishes a harmonious relationship between humanity and nature. It also encourages the expression of imagination and creativity, which contributes to a vibrant sense of cultural identity. (ANI)
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