The “Hope Mountain Chinese Association” in New York will hold the second annual celebration of the Dragon Boat Festival at Mount Hope Town Park in New York State on June 8th (Saturday). The event will feature a variety of colorful activities such as parent-child dragon boat races, parent-child Hanfu fashion shows, tasting delicious zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), and exhibitions introducing the customs of the Dragon Boat Festival.
The fifth day of the fifth month in the lunar calendar is the Dragon Boat Festival, which is one of China’s three major traditional festivals alongside Chinese New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival. The Dragon Boat Festival marks the beginning of hot summer, and ancient Chinese people considered it the day to prevent diseases and evils associated with the hot weather. There are many customs associated with the Dragon Boat Festival, including making zongzi, dragon boat racing, hanging mugwort leaves, wearing sachets, applying realgar, and tying colorful ropes, all of which carry rich cultural significance.
Mela Wu, the head of the Hope Mountain Chinese Association, explained that in recent years, there has been an increase in Chinese families around Mount Hope Town who wish for their children born overseas to understand Chinese culture. The association’s goal in organizing this event is to showcase the deep and extensive traditional Chinese culture, fostering a love for Chinese culture among overseas-born Chinese children and enabling both Chinese and non-Chinese residents to enjoy and learn about Chinese history, culture, and customs together.
The event will feature parent-child dry-land dragon boat races, parent-child Hanfu fashion shows, artistic performances, historical and customary exhibitions about the Dragon Boat Festival, and more. Dozens of booths will be set up on the park’s large lawn, showcasing and selling zongzi, colorful ropes bracelets, mugwort tea, mugwort ice powder, mugwort snacks, jewelry, sachets, North-South snacks, traditional clothing, and other unique handmade products and snacks for visitors to appreciate or taste while enjoying the performances and activities.
Mela Wu mentioned that the first Dragon Boat Festival event held last year was particularly well-received, with not only local families participating but also people driving from New York City to join in the festivities. Both Chinese and non-Chinese families from the local community took part. The parent-child dragon boat races and Hanfu fashion shows were especially popular, with participants showing great enthusiasm. Parents and children donning colorful dry-land dragon boats competed together, and some families dressed in Hanfu for a “walk show” accompanied by music. Parents expressed that while children nowadays often spend their leisure time on smartphones and electronic games, participating in this culturally rich event allowed them to experience the influence of history and culture. It also brought them closer to nature and deepened the relationship between parents and children, bringing multiple benefits.
Event Details:
Date: June 8th (Saturday)
Time: 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Location: Mount Hope Town Park, New York State
For more information, visit mthopechineseassociation.org