WELLINGTON, June 22 (Xinhua) -- A parliamentary celebration on China's traditional Dragon Boat Festival held in New Zealand has been expected to boost the understandings and cultural exchanges between the two countries.
At the Parliamentary Chinese Dragon Boat Festival Celebration held on Monday, audience watched a dragon dance performance staged by the Dragon Dance Troupe of Wellington Chinese Sports and Cultural Centre, as well as poetry reading by poets from the local Chinese community.
The Dragon Boat Festival falls on June 14 this year. People in China usually race dragon boats and eat Zongzi, a sticky rice dumpling wrapped up with bamboo or reed leaves during the festival.
"In the Chinese tradition, the Dragon Boat Festival is a festival of health and vitality as well as patriotism," said Chinese Ambassador in New Zealand Wu Xi at the event.
The Chinese ambassador cited Qu Yuan, a Chinese patriot and poet from the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), as saying in his poem, "The way ahead is long and has no ending. Yet high and low I'll search with my will unbending."
The festival, originated from traditions of memorizing Qu, displays that the spirit of patriotism is carried on through generations of the Chinese people, she said.
Wu noted that during the fight against COVID-19 pandemic, China and New Zealand have been supporting each other, and despite the pandemic, bilateral practical cooperation and commitment to free trade has remained resilient.
"Let's work together to enhance mutual trust, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation to bring our comprehensive strategic partnership to a new high," she said.
Priyanca Radhakrishnan, Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities, on the occasion, praised the long-term China-New Zealand friendship and Chinese community's great commitment to local society.
Richard Leung, president of New Zealand Chinese Association, said the Dragon Boat Festival is not only a festival for New Zealand Chinese community, but also for other New Zealanders.
The annual New Zealand parliamentary celebration for the Chinese community is regularly held around the Lunar Chinese New Year, in January or February. This year's event was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Enditem