Dragon Boat Festival 2023 - The Dragon Boat Festival or Duanwu Festival is one of the biggest festivals, usually held on the 5th of the fifth lunar month. This great festival originates in Southern China.

According to custom, the festival would begin with worshiping the river dragon and develop into a memorial to the famous "folk poet" Qu Yuan.

In Singapore itself, the Chinese community kicks off the festival by making dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival 2023. Today you can see dragon boats plying the rivers and canals in spectacular races to the beat of the drums.

The dragon symbolizes strength, power, and prosperity in Chinese culture and mythology. Especially in ancient times, dragons were believed to live in the waters so they controlled rivers, seas, floods, weather, and water in general.

Dragons are also believed to ensure good weather and bountiful harvests, people in South China are said to have negotiated river dragons all along.

Apart from boat racing, there are several interesting activities that you can do during this celebration. What are they?

Head to places like the Kallang River and Bedok Reservoir and you might spot Singapore dragon boaters training on the water in their dragon boats. They will compete by paddling the dragon-shaped boats to appease the river spirits on the summer solstice.

In today's modern era, the participants are no longer racing to save the drowning priest, but they still have to use great strength, skill, and coordination in this competition.

This annual race in Singapore is held in July and is held over two days in the park by the Bedok Reservoir, Kallang River and Marina Channel Bay.

Dragon boat racing is a traditional Chinese sport held in Singapore since 1978 during the Dragon Boat Festival at Bedok Reservoir Park.

During the Dragon Boat Festival 2023 celebration, visitors and the public who want to learn to paddle a boat can also do it here. You can join one of the boat teams and briefly learn how to paddle a good boat to win the race.

If you want, you can even enjoy the thrilling experience of this boat race. Of course, this gives you a tense and unforgettable experience while visiting Singapore when Duan Wu Jie.

Zongzi, Bak jang, or dumplings, are the main dishes or snacks you'll find at any Chinese table in Singapore during the Dragon Boat Festival. No wonder this festival is sometimes also called the Zongzi Festival or Rice Dumplings Festival.

Zongji is usually cooked by filling glutinous rice with various ingredients, wrapping it in bamboo or reed leaves, and steaming or boiling it for several hours. Most commonly, zongzi are found in the form of a tetrahedron, an elongated cylinder, or a cone.

The story of Zongzi that is attached to the Dragon Boat Festival in the Warring States Period (475 - 221 BC) in memory of the patriotic poet Qu Yuan is one of the reasons why this dish became a mandatory meal during the festival.

After Quyuan drowned himself on the 5th day of the 5th month, people would throw Zongzi into the river every year on that day to protect his body from being bitten by the fish in the river where he drowned. But now, Zongzi has gradually become a festival food that is a must-have during celebrations.

At Dragon Boat Festival celebrations, children usually wear scented sachets tied with five-color silk threads to ward off evil. Scented sachets are ornaments worn on the front of children's dresses. Usually, these fragrant sachets contain cinnabar, realgar and aromatic herbs.

The sachets would be wrapped in silk cloth and sometimes embroidered with very beautiful patterns. Silk threads of various colors were attached to the pouches as decorative tassels. In some areas of China, scented sachets are also used as a token of love between young lovers.

This activity is also available in Singapore. Visitors, both locals and tourists, have the opportunity to create their own scented sachets and take them home as unique souvenirs from Singapore.

Singapore has various other cultural activities during the Dragon Boat Festival 2023. One of them is Dragon Dance vs Lion Dance.

As you know, the dragon is one of the most iconic animals in Chinese tradition, as it symbolizes strength and prosperity. So, the longer the dragon in the dragon dance, the more fortune it will bring.

The lion itself has a meaning similar to the dragon for the Chinese people. In the dance, the two move to the rhythm of drums and cymbals, played loudly to ward off evil spirits.

This is why you'll see dancing lions and dragons at Chinese New Year celebrations, as well as traditional weddings, festivals, new business openings, and other joyous events besides the Dragon Boat Festival

Calligraphy being one of the most important ancient Chinese arts besides painting, it first appeared during the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). Calligraphy itself was intended for educated men and court ladies at that time.

Calligraphy itself is not only about writing, it also shows brush control and composition. Not to mention that philosophy can also influence this calligraphy.

Even though it is difficult, visitors who enjoy the Dragon Boat Festival can learn directly to make their own calligraphy in the several places provided. You can make your own masterpiece to take home!

During the Dragon Boat Festival celebration, you can visit several temples or join in worship. In Singapore itself, people usually visit Hong San See, Wak Hai Cheng Bio, and Thian Hock Keng Temple.

Hong San See, is a Chinese temple in Singapore located on Mohamed Sultan Road. This temple belongs to the Singapore Lam Ann Association, founded between 1908 and 1913, with materials imported from China.

Wak Hai Cheng Bio, is a Chinese temple in Singapore, located on Phillip Street in the Downtown Core. This temple is the oldest Taoist temple in Singapore. The temple was built between 1850 and 1855, and was rebuilt in 1895.

Thian Hock Keng, the oldest and most important Hokkien temple in Singapore. The main shrine was built for Goddess Maco, the goddess of the sea and protector of sailors, while the secondary shrine behind is a Buddhist shrine built for Guan Yin.

There is a traditional market held during the Dragon Boat Festival. Here you can enjoy shopping ranging from souvenirs, handicrafts, to powerful traditional medicines. Apart from that, you can also visit Chinatown in Singapore, which is sure to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival with great fanfare. You can even haggle with merchants to get cheap prices for your desired items.

As we already know, drinking tea is part of Chinese culture. Moreover, China is one of the original tea-producing countries and is famous for making delicious and delicious tea. This custom then spread to many areas through cultural exchanges and other trades.

The Tea Ceremony is an activity of drinking and appreciating tea which contains the wisdom of oriental philosophy. In addition, the Chinese tea ceremony reflects the central ideas of Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism which are a combination of philosophy and lifestyle.

Through the whole series of ceremonies from making tea, appreciating tea, smelling tea, and enjoying tea, to tea culture is learned. This event can refresh and clear the mind.

Dragon boat festival activities are also enlivened by various traditional games such as shuttlecock or jianzi, diabolo, and Chinese chess. Jianzi itself is a sport originally from China that uses shuttlecocks and legs.

Then diabolo is a traditional Chinese game that is still popular today. In this yo-yo-like game, the shape is in the form of a disc like a glass held together at the bottom. Then there is Chinese chess, a game originating from China that two people play.

Do you want to enjoy your own traditional food at home? You can take part in the cooking class usually present during the Dragon Boat Festival, and you can learn how to make tasty and delicious dumplings and stir-fry. Guaranteed, you can enjoy your vacation in an exciting and different way when you visit Singapore during the 2023 Dragon Boat Festival.

One fun activity to do towards the end of the festival is the festive fireworks at night. To celebrate the festivities of this event, of course you will attend the lively fireworks display. Several places will display interesting fireworks for visitors who witness the excitement of the 2023 Dragon Boat Festival.

This festival will be held on June 22, 2023. So for those of you who want to enjoy a different vacation to Singapore than usual. So visit at this time so you can share the excitement and excitement of the Dragon Boat Festival 2023! If you ever need a hotel for staycation during the festival, or you need to browse for attractions, you can do it on Traveloka!