A greeting card of Abang Johari and Juma’ani on ‘Happy Dragon Boat Festival 2021’ posted by Ukas on Facebook.
KUCHING (June 14): The Chinese across the globe are celebrating Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duan Wu Jie, today which is the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese lunar calendar.
If you key Dragon Boat Festival into the Google Search Bar and press enter, you should be seeing cartoonish dragon boats, drums and rice dumplings falling down the screen.
In Sarawak, the State Public Communications Unit (Ukas) has shared a card on Facebook, with Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg and his wife Datuk Amar Juma’ani Tuanku Bujang extending their greetings to celebrants.
Even though dragon boat racing is no longer organised in Sarawak, this activity is still being held throughout the mainland China as people mark the occasion, which commemorates the death of Chinese poet and politician Qu Yuan (340-278 BC).
A screenshot of a search for Dragon Boat Festival done on Google.
In Malaysia, the Chinese community marks the traditional festival by making rice dumplings, also known as zongzi, which is the signature food of Duan Wu Jie.
A little background about Qu Yuan – he was exiled by his king due to some back-stabbing fellow officials. He is said to have committed suicide by drowning himself in a river years after his home fell to a rival army.
The story has it that locals jumped into boats and paddled out onto the river in an attempt to save him. After they realised that their efforts were in vain, they made rice dumpings and threw them into the river with an aim of stoping the fish from feasting on Qu.
Zongzi is made of glutinous rice stuffed with various fillings and wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves.
Despite the Movement Control Order (MCO) enforced to break the chain of Covid-19 infections, The Borneo Post wishes everyone Happy Dragon Boat Festival.