Dragon Boat Festival: Traditional Token of Health and Harmony
正是浴兰时节动，端午佳日升平共
Chinese Ambassador Ma Xinmin to Sudan Publishes Article on Khartoum Today
驻苏丹大使马新民在《今日喀土穆报》发表署名文章
28 June 2020
2020年6月28日
As an ancient Chinese poem reads, “When the Dragon Boat Festival comes in the midsummer, the daytime becomes longer”. The Dragon Boat Festival or Duanwu Festival, one of the four traditional Chinese festivals, is observed with many traditional customs, ranging from eating sticky rice dumplings or zongzi in Chinese, hanging wormwood and calamus on doors to racing elaborately decorated dragon boats. The Dragon Boat festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month and on June 25 this year.
“端午临中夏，时清日复长。”农历五月重五，仲夏端阳，角黍包金，香蒲切玉，龙舟竞夺，锦标方彻。6月25日，中国四大传统节日之一的端午节如期而至。
Having a rich history spanning over two millennia, the Dragon Boat Festival originated from the Warring States period and thrived in Sui and Tang Dynasties. It embodies Chinese people’s aspirations for warding off evil spirits and keeping fit, and displays the profound and diversified culture of Chinese sons and daughters. In China, it is also taken as “poet day”, “sports day” and “health day”.
端午节始于战国，盛于隋唐，至今已有2000多年的历史，承载着中国人民期盼福祉、远离邪气的朴素愿景，激扬着中华儿女万民欢歌、艺脉传承的文化魅力，堪称中国的“诗人节”、“体育节”和“卫生节”。
It is a moment to recollect history and express patriotism. This illustrates the profound history of the Dragon Boat Festival. According to local legend, the patriotic poet Qu Yuan drowned himself in the Miluo River after he learned his motherland Chu State was invaded and captured, demonstrating his patriotism and loyalty. The locals who admired him raced out in their boats to retrieve his body and dropped rice balls into the river to distract fish from feeding on Qu’s body. And this is said to be the origin of various traditional customs of the Dragon Boat Festival, like dragon boat racing and making zongzi, have been preserved in commemoration of the patriot Qu Yuan. Patriotic historic figures represented by Qu Yuan who are dedicated to serving the country with loyalty, even at the expense of their own lives, have been the cultural symbol imprinted on the mind of the Chinese nation. It symbolizes the most lofty and deepest patriotic sentiment among Chinese sons and daughters.
抚今追昔，涵养家国情怀。思接千古，致敬高尚人格，是端午的历史厚度。相传，爱国诗人屈原听闻故土楚国被攻破后，抱石投江，用生命传承拳拳赤子之心。百姓划船打捞其遗体，又恐鱼虫虾蟹伤其遗体而将饭团投入水中，后来逐渐发展为划龙舟、包粽子等风俗，以此纪念屈原。以屈原为首的仁人志士忠胆报国、重民固本、执着求索、舍身求法，早已成为中华民族的基因图谱和文化烙印，涤荡千载，绵延不止，凝结成华夏儿女对祖国最崇高、最炽热、最深重的爱国情思。
It is an occasion to embrace diversity and harmonious coexistence. This illustrates the great wisdom behind the Dragon Boat Festival. The Dragon Boat Festival enjoys the widest range of traditional customs among all traditional Chinese festivals. People that prefer tranquility incline to clean the courtyard, hang leaves of mugwort and calamus above doors, wear perfume sachets that help improve the mental state, and bathe in herbal spas that is believed to cure skin diseases. All of these represent the harmony between mankind and nature. People keen on excitement will race dragon boats, make paper cuttings, fly kites and entertain guests. The cultural diversity of traditional customs observed in the Dragon Boat Festival is the best testament that the Chinese civilization honors openness, inclusivity, harmony and cooperation. As a traditional Chinese poem goes, “The most joyful thing is to have a friend that knows your heart”. The Yangtze River and the Yellow River in China and the Blue Nile and the White Nile in Sudan have witnessed the development of the true friendship between China and Sudan over the past six decades since the establishment of the diplomatic relations. Both countries went through similar historical trials and hold the same dream for the future. The interactions and mutual learning between Chinese and Nubian civilizations will be bound to inject vitality to China-Sudan friendship in the future.
多元共生，倡导美美与共。和谐天下，彰显人伦温情，是端午的文明深度。端午是中国传统节日中节俗最为多样化的存在。喜清净者扫庭院、悬艾叶、佩香囊、浴兰汤，方寸之地求天人合一，喜热闹者赛龙舟、剪窗花、放风筝、宴宾客，畅情言欢享快意人生，多彩节俗交相辉映，诉说中华文明开放包容、崇尚和合的胸襟情怀。乐莫乐兮新相知，长江黄河与青白尼罗河见证了中苏相交相与60载的真情厚谊，中苏有着相似的历史境遇、相同的梦想追求，华夏文明和努比亚文明的交流互鉴必将为中苏友好注入勃勃生机。
It is the timing to drive away diseases and evils and invoke good health and peace. This illustrates the practical significance of the Dragon Boat Festival. The fifth lunar month is traditionally considered as an unlucky month, as it is believed that during the midsummer, people can easily fall ill and epidemics can spread, especially with the breeding and prevalence of mosquitoes and flies. Racing dragon boats in a lively and colorful spectacle is an exercise that keeps people physically fit. Decorating houses by hanging wormwood and angelica-perfumed fragrant sachets is aimed at helping purify the air and thus protecting people’s health. This reveals the ancient wisdom of the Chinese civilization in preventing diseases. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic across the globe, China has been upholding the vision of building a global community of health for all with solidarity. At the virtual event of the opening of the 73rd World Health Assembly, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced five major initiatives aimed at boosting international cooperation against COVID-19. He also sent a reassuring message of China-Africa solidarity and cooperation at the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity against COVID-19. The anti-epidemic medical expert team sent by the Chinese government worked together with the Sudanese side for 15 days to exchange and share know-how on epidemic prevention and control, epidemiological surveys, clinical treatment and virus testing. The collective battle against COVID-19 between China and Sudan sets a good example of international cooperation in tiding over difficult times with unity in the face of severe challenges, and marks a vivid expression of the significance of building China-Sudan community of a shared future in the new era.
禳灾驱瘟，祈求祥瑞康宁。祛疫防病，追求卫生健康，是端午的现实温度。五月，旧时谓之毒月，因为时令已近盛夏，蚊蝇滋生，瘟疫盛行，对人体健康带来危害。水里千舟百舸争流，重在提高身体素质，家中艾蒲香囊高挂，旨在护佑身体健康，这是中国文明内核中古老的防疫智慧。新冠肺炎疫情在全球暴发以来，中国始终倡议携手构建人类健康共同体团结抗疫。中国国家主席习近平在第73届世卫大会视频会议开幕式上宣布了推进全球抗疫合作的五大举措，在中非团结抗疫特别峰会上发出中非团结合作的时代强音。中国政府抗疫医疗专家组在苏丹奋战15天，同苏方就新冠肺炎疫情防控、流行病学调查、临床救治和检测等深入交流、经验共享。中苏同心同德共战疫情，正是人类面对灾难时和衷共济、守望相助的国际合作典范，生动诠释了中苏命运共同体的时代意义。
On the occasion of the Dragon Boat Festival, I would like to extend, on behalf of all colleagues of the Chinese Embassy in Sudan, kind regards and best wishes to Sudanese friends of various circles and the Chinese citizens in Sudan. Wish Chinese and Sudanese people good luck and health! And may China and Sudan defeat the coronavirus shoulder to shoulder and create a more splendid future together.
“正是浴兰时节动，端午佳日升平共。”值此端午佳节，我谨代表中国驻苏丹大使馆全体同事，向苏丹各界朋友们和广大侨胞，致以节日的亲切问候和美好祝愿！祝中苏两国人民端午祥瑞、身体健康！愿中苏两国并肩胜疫、共创辉煌！