Latest news with #DragonBoatFestival
South China Morning Post
6 hours ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China's Dragon Boat Festival coincides with second holiday, fuelling boom in family tourism
An unusual convergence of the Dragon Boat Festival and Children's Day in China over the weekend led to a surge in domestic tourism bookings to campsites, amusement parks and other attractions, according to travel platforms. Advertisement Short-haul domestic travel bookings had grown 23 per cent year on year, according to travel platform latest figures. The trend was driven by 'summer escapes' with parent-child orders making up 35 per cent of overall bookings and 'family-friendly' hotel searches increasing by 45 per cent, a company spokeswoman said. Latest figures from Alibaba Group Holding's travel-booking platform Fliggy showed that, as of last Wednesday, bookings for theme park tickets had grown by more than 100 per cent over last year's Dragon Boat Festival weekend, while campsite bookings had shot up 80 per cent. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post. Family hotel packages that include hotels, food and entertainment had risen by 24 per cent over the same period for 2024, the platform said, while activities such as suburban 'water fun' and picnics with children and pets 'are in high demand'. 'This year's holiday coincides with Children's Day, enhancing the appeal of family travel,' Fliggy said in a statement ahead of the May 31-June 2 break. Advertisement Domestic holiday travel in China has increased since the Covid-19 pandemic , with growing interest in scenery, cultural experiences and adventures – albeit with an eye towards saving money amid economic uncertainties. Chinese officials have looked to tourism as a driver of support for the nation's service sector.
The Star
12 hours ago
- Sport
- The Star
Dragon Boat Festival celebrated in Greece
ATHENS, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of spectators gathered at the Olympic Rowing Center in Schinias, northeast of Athens, on Sunday to witness a vibrant dragon boat race held in celebration of the Dragon Boat Festival and the deepening ties between China and Greece. The event, the first of its kind in Greece and titled "Dragon Boat Race - Friendship Cup China-Greece: The Silk Road Meets the Aegean Sea," featured seven competing teams -- five Chinese and two Greek. The race was organized by the Chinese Embassy in Greece and hosted in the historic town of Marathon. "This event is yet another opportunity to deepen cooperation and friendship between the Chinese and Greek peoples," said Chinese Ambassador to Greece Fang Qiu in his opening remarks. Marathon Mayor Stergios Tsirkas echoed the sentiment, expressing pride in hosting the inaugural dragon boat race in Greece. "It is an honor and a great joy for our town," he said. Vasilis Polymeros, president of the Hellenic Rowing Federation and Olympic medalist, highlighted the cultural significance of the event. "I had the privilege of competing in China during the 2008 Olympic Games and experienced firsthand the richness of Chinese civilization. Today is a wonderful occasion that brings us together," he told Xinhua. The Greek team "Dragon of Friendship," which included canoe kayak athlete Alexandros Lymperopoulos, took home the cup. "It's a beautiful experience to see this connection between Greece and China flourish. The energy here at the Olympic Rowing Center is truly uplifting," he said. The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu Festival, is a traditional Chinese holiday to commemorate ancient Chinese poet Qu Yuan from the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.).
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Mission: Impossible? China faces box office blues during Dragon Boat Festival
A Hollywood film topped ticket presales for China's Dragon Boat Festival, but latest data points to a subdued box office for the holiday season as the industry grapples with a string of underwhelming performances. Advertisement The box office revenue for Saturday, the first day of the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, was estimated at 122 million yuan ($16.9 million), according to Maoyan, a Chinese film industry data platform. The figure was lower than the 177 million yuan for May 1, the first day of mainland China's last public holiday. The Hollywood film Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, starring legendary American actor Tom Cruise, was projected to lead the day with an estimated box office income of 54.6 million yuan. The film outperformed home-grown animated feature Endless Journey of Love and a spin-off of Japanese anime classic Doraemon. This came despite Beijing's announcement in April of a curb on American film imports – a move widely regarded as retaliation for US President Donald Trump's 'reciprocal' tariffs. Advertisement As the world's second-largest economy struggles to stimulate domestic consumption, China's box office revenue declined last year, totalling 42.5 billion yuan – down 22.6 per cent from 2023, and lower even than the 2015 level. But observers said China's film market remains resilient in the long term, partly thanks to improved domestic productions.
Malaysia Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Malaysia Sun
Drumbeats of fitness, tourism echo as dragon boats make waves across China
BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- As May draws to a close, the rhythmic thud of drums and the roar of cheering crowds are once again echoing across rivers and lakes throughout China. Amid splashing water and synchronized chants, dragon boats surge ahead in fierce competition as Chinese people celebrate Duanwu Festival on Saturday this year. For millennia, dragon boat racing has remained at the heart of Duanwu Festival, China's first traditional festival inscribed on UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. This explains why it is better known globally as the Dragon Boat Festival. With origins tied to the death of Qu Yuan, a loyal statesman and patriotic poet from more than 2,000 years ago, this ancient tradition has become a modern phenomenon, boosting the popularity of both public fitness and cultural tourism. In Zhejiang Province on China's eastern coast, this evolution was on full display earlier this week during the region's inaugural farmers' dragon boat invitational, as 12 amateur village teams from across the province gathered in the Yinzhou District of Ningbo City. Yu Youfen, from the neighboring city of Zhoushan, stood on the sidelines, still catching his breath after the 500-meter race. For the past fortnight, his team members had been training after their day jobs. "Some of us work in factories, others in fish farming," the team leader said. "Passion for dragon boat racing gives us a reason to come together, to fight for our community's pride." Among the cheering crowd stood a local resident surnamed Chen. His five-year-old son was perched on his shoulders, shouting with the crowd as another boat sped past. "This is already his fifth time watching dragon boat races," Chen said. "He just told me he wants to join the race one day." Boat racing in Yinzhou dates back more than 2,200 years, as evidenced by the discovery of an ancient bronze axe adorned with an image of men in feathered hats racing boats. At the event, a new provincial training base for village-level dragon boat teams was inaugurated in Yinzhou, in a step toward expanding access and reinforcing grassroots participation in this age-old tradition. The scene in Zhejiang echoes a nationwide surge in mass sports enthusiasm -- a result of China's ongoing efforts to enhance public fitness, seen as a cornerstone of the country's long-term ambition to become a leading sporting nation and build a healthy China. While the most iconic races remain concentrated in the water-rich southern regions, dragon boat activities are gaining traction across the country. According to preliminary estimates, dragon boat races will be held in 25 provinces nationwide during the three-day Duanwu holiday from Saturday to Monday. In south China's Guangdong, long regarded as a stronghold of dragon boat tradition, local races began as early as May 1. Over 100 races are scheduled around the holiday period in the provincial capital of Guangzhou alone. Among the races will be the high-profile 2025 Guangzhou International Dragon Boat Invitational Tournament. Set to be held on Sunday, the event, with a history of 40 years, will see the participation of 116 teams and over 4,000 competitors. Seven teams from Russia, the United States, Canada, Malaysia and Kazakhstan are expected to join the action. Meanwhile, in Beijing, the festival is being marked by a sports carnival of over 30 events extending beyond traditional boat racing to include paddleboarding, kayaking and other activities aimed at engaging the public in festive fitness. "The growing popularity of dragon boat racing is expected to attract more people to water sports, helping promote aquatic recreation across China," said Zhai Junshuai, general manager of a water sports club in the northern port city of Tianjin. Zhai also emphasized the potential of this dragon boat racing craze nationwide to invigorate the local economy, which is aligned with China's broader efforts to stimulate domestic consumption. National action plans released in March and April highlighted the integration of sports, culture and tourism as a strategic pillar, calling for more high-quality sports programs and distinctive events. Data from major travel platforms has showcased clear economic ripple effects. Tongcheng Travel reported a 270 percent week-on-week spike in searches for "dragon boat" as of May 19. Data from Group shows significant year-on-year growth in bookings for cities with dragon boat traditions. In Foshan, Guangdong, total travel orders rose 167 percent; in Miluo, Hunan Province, considered by many the birthplace of dragon boat culture, bookings jumped 85 percent. To capitalize on the enthusiasm, Guangzhou plans to host over 650 cultural and tourism events related to dragon boating during the holiday, enriching the city's offerings for visitors. More Chinese people are prioritizing health and leisure amid rising living standards, said Li Peigong, president of Shanghai Lixin University of Accounting and Finance. "A combination of sports and travel has become a go-to solution that caters to a wide range of needs." Meanwhile, observers underscore the need to further unleash the nation's sports consumption potential. "It is necessary to broaden access to fitness and sports programs nationwide. And teaching people how to play sports will be the first step to boost sports consumption," said Wang Yuxiong, head of the sports economics research center at Central University of Finance and Economics.
Borneo Post
a day ago
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Dragon Boat Festival: SUPP Pelawan Youth distributes 500 packs of dumplings to seniors
Tiang (second row, sixth left) in a group photo with recipients and organising members. – Photo by Peter Boon SIBU (June 1): In celebration of the Dragon Boat Festival, approximately 500 packs of dumplings were distributed to senior residents of Jalan Bunga Teratai here yesterday. The event was organised by the SUPP Pelawan Youth section. Sarawak Deputy Minister for Public Health, Housing, and Local Government, Datuk Michael Tiang, highlighted the significance of the dumplings as a cherished tradition within the Chinese community. 'As a reminder, we had the patriotic poet Qu Yuan, whose dedication to patriotism and justice aligns with the values of the Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP),' he told reporters. The Pelawan assemblyman further elaborated on the symbolism behind the dumpling, saying that the string that holds the dumpling together symbolises unity. 'The mixture of all kinds of ingredients in the dumpling symbolises the mixture of our culture and our race. Just like Sarawak's community – a melting pot,' he said. 'That's why Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) under the leadership of our Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg – each year, we have been rolling out some welfare programmes, benefits, special assistance to all levels of communities. 'And not only that, every year, we have some pleasant surprises. I mean, new revenue streams spearheaded by our Premier,' he added. Also present was Penghulu Ting Tien Huat. Dragon Boat Festival dumplings lead Michael Tiang Sibu
