Celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival during a pandemic might look a little different, but the spirit of the festival still lives on. Here are some ways to celebrate the annual Dragon Boat Festival in Singapore while staying safe during Phase 2.
What is the Dragon Boat Festival?
This festival originates from an ancient Chinese legend which tells the story of Qu Yan, a poet in the Zhou dynasty who opposed the Chu emperor’s alliance with the Qin state, and was sent into exile.
Twenty eight days later, after the Qin state captured the Chu capital, Qu Yan drowned in the river. It was said that the people admired Qu Yan so much that they raced out in dragon boats to find his body, but to no avail. They then threw sticky rice dumplings into the river so the fish would eat them instead of Qu Yan’s body.
The Dragon Boat Festival occurs on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month each year, which falls on Monday, June 14 of the Gregorian calendar in 2021. During this festival, many would eat sticky rice dumplings and attend dragon boat races.
Make sticky rice dumplings
Sticky rice dumplings, or zong zi, are traditionally eaten on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival. You can make sticky rice dumplings at home with an easy-to-follow recipe.
All you need is glutinous rice, marinated pork belly for the meat filling, shiitake mushrooms, Chinese cooking sauces, and bamboo leaves to wrap the sticky rice in.
If you don’t feel like making them by hand, Joo Chiat Kim Choo, one of the oldest sticky rice dumpling makers in Singapore, has a wide range of sticky rice dumplings available for order.
Enjoy some Jiandui
Fried sesame flour balls, known as Jiandui, are also popular Dragon Boat festival delicacies.
According to Chinese folklore, the rainy season before the Dragon Boat Festival was caused by the holes in Heaven, and eating Jiandui would fill up these holes. People would eat these sesame balls in hopes to stop the rain.
The tradition of eating Jiandui during the Dragon Boat festival still continues, and there are plenty of easy-to make-recipes online.
Try out dragon boating
While the annual dragon boat race might not take place in Singapore due to the pandemic, you can still try out dragon boating.
The Singapore Dragon Boating Association is a group dedicated to keeping the dragon-boating culture alive. They offer various orientation sessions for you to participate in, where a professional will guide you through the basics of this water sport.
Do note there is a minimum of four people needed for a session to start, and you can choose from a 12 crew ($144.45) or 22 crew ($187.25) boat, depending on your group size.
If you charter more than two dragon boats, you’ll be treated to a mini race with your friends, where you can relish the excitement of taking part in your own dragon-boat race.
Keeping these traditions alive preserves the vibrant Chinese culture for future generations, and you can be a part of this rich history too.
