Wishing You a Peaceful Dragon Boat Festival
A festive greeting for Duanwu: with poetry, reflection, and a moment to honor the traditions that quietly shape this special day.
In the midst of China’s rapid innovation and relentless development, the Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu Jie) stands as a gentle counterpoint—a day shaped not by acceleration, but by rhythm, memory, and meaning. It reminds us that beneath the skyscrapers and data flows, there remains a deep cultural current that continues to guide everyday life.
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To mark this occasion, I want to share a short poem by Lu You, a Song Dynasty poet known for his clarity and quiet feeling. His Duanwu verse captures not a festival in spectacle, but in its rituals—and therein lies its brilliance.
陆游《乙卯重五诗》
重五山村好，榴花忽已繁。
粽包分两髻，艾束著危冠。
Lu You – Duanwu, Year of the Rabbit
How fine the Fifth Day in a village of hills—
Pomegranate blooms burst, red and wild.
Rice dumplings tucked in children’s twin buns,
Mugwort bundles fixed on their lofty crowns.
What appears at first to be a simple pastoral scene quickly reveals itself as a distilled portrait of tradition. The red of the pomegranate blossoms feels sudden — “忽已繁,” suddenly abundant — as if summer itself has opened like a fan.
And then the children: both vulnerable and exalted. Their small heads are adorned with bundles of zongzi and protective mug wort—not for show, but as part of a living folklore. In this moment, culture is not a museum piece. It’s worn, held, passed on.
Today, China’s image on the global stage is one of futuristic vision: high-speed trains, AI innovation, planetary-scale infrastructure. But Duanwu reminds us that identity is not built solely on ambition. It also rests on ceremony, on remembrance, on care.
Even in 2025, in cities where drones deliver and payment happens by face, you’ll still find zongzi wrapped with care and mug wort for sale at corner markets. There’s wisdom in that resilience.
So here’s to all who mark this festival—quietly or grandly, rural or urban. May your Dragon Boat Day carry both joy and rootedness.