Boat races and lion dance to light up fifth Dragon Boat Festival in Kolkata

Indian Chinese Association for Culture, Welfare and Development, in association with the Consul-General of The People’s The Republic of China, are organising the fifth edition of the Dragon Boat Festival, at the Calcutta Boating and Hotel Resorts, this Sunday.

The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated every year around the summer solstice in China and is believed to ward off evil and bad luck. In Kolkata, it is celebrated on the first Sunday, before the actual date of the festival and includes cultural performances, along with the traditional Dragon Boat Race.

There are many stories of origin behind the festival, of which the most common, is that of the poet and minister, Qu Yuan who lived during the Zhou Dynasty. He was sent to exile when he fell out with the Chu Royal House and committed suicide by drowning in the yellow river when the rival state of Qin tried to capture him.

It is believed that the festival is celebrated to commemorate Qu Yuan’s death and the boat race is nothing but an imitation of the villager’s search for Qu Yuan’s body. According to legends, the villagers tried to save him, but since Qu Yuan had already drowned by that time, they threw rice into the water, to keep the fishes away from his body; and beat drums, as well as splashed water with their paddles, to ward off evil spirits. The rice, when packaged into a three-cornered silk pouch was considered to ward off bad luck. and the traditional dish zongzi, wrapped in bamboo leaves, which is consumed during this festival is also inspired by the same pouch.

Over the years, The Dragon Boat Festival has gained much fanfare, and more and more people from different communities are participating in the festivities. “It has been an enriching experience, organising this Dragon Boat Festival for the past couple of years. What initially started on a very small scale at Tiretti Bazaar, has now turned into an extravagant annual festival in Kolkata,” says Robert Hsu, secretary of Indian Chinese Association for Culture, Welfare, and Development.

The line-up of events at the Dragon Boat Festival 2019 includes a Dragon Boat Race, the famous Lion Dance, authentic Chinese food from Tiretti Breakfast Market and Tangra, as well as some cultural performance, involving traditional Chinese songs and dances.

“The smile and excitement on the faces of people are what we enjoy the most. The response so far has been quite overwhelming and we plan to continue giving the people of Kolkata, a fresh reason every year to celebrate this festival,” shares Robert.

At Calcutta Boating and Hotel Resorts, June 2, 3 pm onwards