Dragon Boat Festival Trip 2012

The third biggest festival in the Chinese calendar is the unmissable Duānwǔ jié (端午節) or Dragon Boat Festival. Incredible boat races, loud firecrackers and delicious Zongzi (粽子).

InternChina Zhuhai is organizing a trip to Guangzhou to see the festival activities, explore some of the city and generally JIA HOU! (floor the gas-pedal)

The Dragon Boat Festival

Among the various contradicting theories explaining the origin, the best held is that the festival commemorates the ancient Chinese poet Qu Yuan, who held a high rank in the Chu court. But was charged with treason after opposing the Kings choice of an alliance with an enemy state. Once the

alliance turned sour and the Chu state was overtaken Qu Yuan committed suicide in the Miluo river on the fifth day of the fifth month (lunar calendar). It is thought that the people who admired him paddled out on boats to scare away the fish and/or retrieve his body (the assumed origin of the boat races) and offer him rice cakes for the after life.

These rice cakes had to be wrapped in bamboo leaves to prevent the fish from eating them, which is where zongzi is thought to have originated. Zongzi are pyramids of sticky (glutenous) rice with either a sweet (red bean usually) or savory filling wrapped in bamboo leaves, tied with string and boiled in salt water.

The Trip

We will arrange a bus to and from Guangzhou and book your choice of accommodation ranging from 65Kuai (dorms) ~ 140Kuai (single private) per night at the following hostel. For more detailed information please contact Beata at beata.matulevicuite@internchina.com

Friday 22 (public holiday)

• Depart from Zhuhai (morning)
• Book into hostel
• Optional tour around the city

Saturday 23 (Dragon boat festival)

• Early morning Dragon Boat races
• Optional tour around the city
• Night out

Sunday 24 (return to Zhuhai)

• Optional tour around city
• Pack up and depart late afternoon

Our optional day tours through the citys’ best-known areas is something to look forward to. One of the featured areas is  Shangxiajiu or “Walking Street”. As one of the shopping districts of Guangzhou, it providing ample opportunities for nabbing some awesome gifts for the mates/family back home – or just for yourself.  Also at night the entire plaza lights up like Bladerunner scene and provide a great backdrop for some awesome Cantonese restaurants. The flavours buzz almost as much as the neon lights do.