Overseas Chinese and local residents in Cape Town celebrated the Dragon Boat Festival this weekend, with dragon boat races making a splash Saturday in South Africa's legislative capital.
Also known as Duanwu, the festival is a traditional Chinese holiday observed on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar, which falls on June 10 this year.
This year's dragon boat race was the second event of its kind held in Cape Town following the success of last year's celebrations. The race featured 10 teams competing in various categories, including 100-meters, 500-meters and the popular tug-of-war competitions.
Dong Gang, a representative of the Chinese community in Cape Town and one of the event organizers, said that among the 10 teams participating this year, one team is composed entirely of local Chinese.
"For us overseas Chinese, we are very proud to see the traditional culture of our country being carried forward and expanded at the southernmost tip of the African continent," he said.
The holiday commemorates Qu Yuan, a loyal statesman and a patriotic poet in the State of Chu during the Warring States Period (475 B.C.-221 B.C.). He tragically drowned himself in the Miluo River after he was accused of treason and banished for his well-intended advice to the king.
Legend has it that upon learning of his death, locals took to boats on the river to search for his body, dropping rice into the water in an effort to prevent the fish from eating him.
Both the legend and the festival have been passed down through generations since ancient times.
The festival is celebrated with dragon boat races and the consumption of sticky rice dumplings called zongzi.
Cape Town celebrates Chinese Dragon Boat Festival with thrilling races
Macao has been emerging as a global hub for conventions and exhibitions in recent years by exploring the enormous opportunities in the sector, driving the region to advance its economic diversification and embrace a brighter future.
Macao has received many awards this year, such as the Best Convention City (Asia) and the Best BT-MICE City, showcasing the recognition for and influence of Macao's exhibition industry.
More than 1,000 electronic game enthusiasts from all over the world gathered recently in Macao to participate in a esports themed event.
Su Zhili, organizer of the event, said that Macao's rich experience in hosting large-scale events, coupled with its good infrastructure, has driven him to choose the region as an ideal destination to hold such an activity.
"Macao has held many similar large-scale events. It has rich experience, and the facilities at the venue are relatively mature, so we can start our work comfortably," said Su.
During the first three quarters of 2024, Macao held more than 1,000 conferences and exhibitions in total.
"We will invite more professional, special conferences to be held in Macao and also cultivate more exhibition brands with international influence in Macao, so as to promote Macao's exhibitions to be more market-oriented, professional, international, digital and greener from various aspects. This is our goal," said Elaine Wong, member of the Macao Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute.
In addition, multiple large exhibitions and conferences, such as the Macao International Trade and Investment fair, the Macao Franchise Expo, and the International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum, are held regularly in Macao.
With the introduction of a series of policies and measures to facilitate the exchanges between the mainland and Macao, as well as the construction and development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Macao's convention and exhibition industry will embrace more opportunities for development in the foreseeable future.
"We have such a good industrial base in the Greater Bay Area. The mode of 'Convention and Exhibition + Industry' not only integrates the industries of Macao, but also the industries of the Greater Bay Area. In addition, Macao actively integrates into the national development and plays a role in the Belt and Road. Why are we so confident in Macao's convention and exhibition sector? Because it is backed by the motherland, and the country gives Macao great support," said Alan Ho, chairman of the Macao Association of Convention, Exhibition and Tourism Sectors.
Macao emerges as global hub for conventions and exhibitions, driving economic diversification and international recognition
