A memorable Dragon Boat Festival

　　For Dragon Boat Festival this year, my family decided to be adventurous and put together two of the things that make the holiday unique -- watching a dragon boat race and making zongzi.

　　To start the day we went to Haicang for the Jinsha Cup Dragon Boat Carnival, which revolves around a series of dragon boat races on Haicang Lake. When we arrived, the lakeside was packed. The best spots by the lake were taken so we stood at the back and stretched our necks to watch.

　　Before the race started, the dragon boats were still resting on the water, lined up one by one. From a distance, they really did look like dragons taking a break on the lake. But as soon as the drums sounded, the rowers began to paddle with full strength. Their movements followed the rhythm of the team's calls, neat and powerful, and the boats quickly moved forward.

　　Whenever the crowd saw a boat pull ahead, they cheered excitedly. In those moments I felt connected by the strangers around me, united for a thrilling moment by the dragon boat race.

　　My younger cousins couldn't see over the adults in the crowd so my uncle and brother lifted them onto their shoulders. From high above they gave us live commentary: “That one is faster!” “The boat behind is catching up!” We were far back in the crowd so we were actually quite happy to listen to their commentary.

　　Because the course is a 200-meter straight shot, each race wound up more quickly than I had expected. For us, the adventure itself was more important than which boats won or lost.

　　After the competition, we headed home to prepare for the real highlight of the festival -- making zongzi.

　　Soaked in advance, the glutinous rice was white and plump and felt a little heavy in the hand. The washed and boiled bamboo leaves were darker and softer, less likely to break when handled. We prepared three kinds of zongzi. One was alkaline zongzi, made with red beans and glutinous rice. The other two were savory meat zongzi, one with chestnut, pork and mushroom, the other with salted egg yolk, pork and peanuts.

　　The adults made classic triangular zongzi. They made a small cone with two bamboo leaves rolled together, then added a little rice, put in the filling and covered it with another layer of rice.

　　It looked easy but proved quite tricky, at least for me. The leaves were slippery and my rice kept leaking out from the gaps. If I loosened my grip, the shape I had just made would fall apart. The hardest part was tying the string at the end. I often ended up confusing myself and accidentally tying the string into a knot.

　　The children were busy too. They worked on four-cornered zongzi, which are easier to assemble. My younger cousins were especially focused. They kept adjusting the bamboo leaves and worked inordinately hard to even up the four corners of each zongzi. Their zongzi were quite beautiful, with clear corners, neat sides and nicely-tied strings. I have to say they surpassed my own humble creations.

　　We placed the zongzi into a pot to cook and the fragrance of bamboo leaves filled the air. This was Dragon Boat Festival at its finest.

　　I enjoyed both the dragon boat races and the zongzi but what made the day truly special was the time spent with family. It's not who wins a race or makes the most aesthetically pleasing dumpling that matters. Rather, it was the simple fact of being together that made this Dragon Boat Festival so memorable.

Written by Su Nan
Photos by Tang Guangfeng

Source: COMMON TALK WEEKLY