A girl tries to eat Zongzi, a traditional Chinese food, during a celebration of Dragon Boat Festival at the China Cultural Center in Tel Aviv, Israel, on June 22, 2023. (Xinhua/Chen Junqing)
JERUSALEM, June 22 (Xinhua) -- The China Cultural Center in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv held an event on Thursday evening to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, attracting 150 visitors from various countries.
Originating in China thousands of years ago, the Dragon Boat Festival, which annually commemorates the Chinese patriotic poet Qu Yuan (about 340 BC-278 BC) on May 5 on the lunar Chinese calendar, has now become a national holiday when people enjoy eating zongzi, a sticky rice dumpling, and watch dragon boat races.
Decorated with red lanterns, the center was permeated with a lively atmosphere of traditional Chinese festivals. Coiling several bamboo leaves into the shape of a cone, the visitors filled them with glutinous rice and Chinese dates to make zongzi.
In addition to tasting this traditional Chinese food, the visitors were also briefed on the historical, cultural and folk knowledge of the festival. Performances of Taiji fans and traditional Chinese musical instruments also drew rounds of applause.
Addressing the event, Liu Song, minister-counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Israel, said happy life and social harmony are the common aspirations of people all over the world, including the Chinese, and the Dragon Boat Festival just represents such aspirations.
This year marks the 31st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Israel. Bilateral ties now stand at a new historical starting point and face new development opportunities, with broad prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation, Liu noted. ■
People learn to make Zongzi, a traditional Chinese food, during a celebration of Dragon Boat Festival at the China Cultural Center in Tel Aviv, Israel, on June 22, 2023. (Xinhua/Chen Junqing)
