We Talk: Russian man on loving and living China's Dragon Boat Festival

June 19 marks China's traditional Dragon Boat Festival. Boasting a history spanning over 2,000 years, the festival embodies people's heartfelt wishes for warding off evil spirits and diseases, as well as praying for health and well-being. Folk customs include making zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), wearing sachets, and tying five-color silk threads that have been passed down through generations. These have evolved into a cultural romance deeply woven into Chinese people's daily lives.

Daniel, a young man from Russia, has lived in China for many years, and this year is his 11th Dragon Boat Festival spent here. On the festival day, he prepared zongzi, salted duck eggs and Chinese Huangjiu to visit his parents-in-law. He learned to make zongzi with his mother-in-law, immersing himself fully in the time-honored Dragon Boat Festival traditions. Later, Daniel wandered around a Dragon Boat Festival-themed market by West Lake in Hangzhou, gaining an in-depth understanding of the auspicious meanings behind festival staples like scented sachets and five-color threads. He also saw young visitors dressed in Hanfu admiring the lakeside scenery, which allowed him to truly feel the distinctive charm arising from the integration and collision of traditional Chinese culture and modern trends. At the end of the video, he extended his sincere wishes, hoping everyone stays safe and enjoys a joyful Dragon Boat Festival