Discussion keeps the world turning.
This is Round Table.
Who's ready for a break?
Zones is on the table.
Dragon boats are on the water and this long weekend holiday hits different.
The Duan Wu Festival meets Children's Day.
While some head out for short getaways, others settle in for a cozy staycation.
We discuss the traditions we love and and the travel trends shaping this season.
Coming to you live from Beijing, this is Roundtable.
I'm He Yang. For today's program, I'm joined by Steve Hatherly and Yu Xun in the studio.
First on today's show.
The Duanwu Festival, or Dragon Boat Festival wouldn't be complete without the thrill of racing boats and the delicious bite of traditional zongzi dumplings.
This year, the festival falls on May 31 and comes with a three -day weekend.
Overlapping with International Children's Day on June 1.
With the National College Entrance Examination just a week away, many families with test takers are staying close to home, while others are taking advantage of the break for short getaways to relax and recharge.
Let's take a look at how ancient traditions are finding fresh expression and explore the trends behind today's travel and spending habits.
Yu Xun, this is a very important responsibility of yours.
Please explain what is Duanwu Festival?
Okay, so first of all, Duanwu Festival or Dragon Bolt Festival is one of the four major, traditional Chinese festivals alongside with Spring Festival or Chinese New Year, Qingming Festival or Tomb Sweeping Day and also Mid -Autumn Festival, which is the day that you eat a lot of mooncakes.
Yeah, sorry to interrupt already, this is exciting for me because I am coming up to my one year anniversary in China and this is my last major festival learning experience because I've gone through Spring Festival, I've experienced Qingming Festival and the Mid -Autumn festivals so Duanwu or the Dragon Boat Festival, this is the last one I'm going to be learning about for the first time.
Yeah absolutely, so this is a festival has a rich history spanning over two millennia and there are several different versions about the origin of the Dragon Bolt Festival, but the most widely accepted one is that it commemorates Chuyuan who is a historical figure.
So during the pre -Qing period or prior to 221 BCE, the Dragon Bolt Festival was primarily a day for disease prevention and warding of of epidemics.
It was not until the Han Dynasty, or 206 BC to 220 CE, that the festival was officially established.
And later then, with the unification of the north and southern part of the country, the festival was infused with the tradition of commemorating the historical figure, Chu Yuan, as I mentioned.
So legend has it, Chu Yuan, who is a poet of the state of Chu during the warring states period as part of the pre -Qin era and drown himself in the river called mylo river on the day after hearing that his country's capital had been seized by the Qing army and in despair he ended his life and upon hearing the news local people rushed out in boats to try to rescue him and also threw rice dumplings into the river to keep the fish from eating his body instead eat the rice dumplings and over time these acts evolved into the customs of dragon bolt racing as people will race the bolts to actually it
used to be like race the bolts to rescue him but now it's evolving to a dragon bolt racing and also eating zones or rice dumplings during the dragon bolt festival and the zones the rice dumpling those are the ones that are shaped, they're kind of shaped like a triangle.
Yes. Right, and you've got the glutinous rice on the inside and then the outside can, I don't know if always, but at least sometimes can be wrapped in, are those banana leaves or?
No they're bamboo leaves.
Other bamboo leaves.
Yeah or raid leaves.
And then tied together with some string, they look really, really cool.
And then I think you, I guess you can steam them or grill them, or there are various methods of cooking them?
Well I thought you water boil them.
Oh do you really? That's probably the easiest way.
Yes, mostly you you will need to like water boil them because it's it's covered by these leaves and then you need to be fully cooked.
Yeah, it takes time.
Yeah. Yeah. I'm glad I asked that question because I was out shopping the other night and at the shop they were giving out as kind of free giveaways some of those gluttonous Rice snacks, and I took it home and my wife and I said, how do we cook this?
But now I now I know the answer.
Thank you. Yeah, you probably need to water boil them for at least 20 minutes, I think usually longer than that.
Yeah and unwrapping them can get really sticky and also glutinous rice sometimes could be a little bit hard for digestion so don't eat too many of them at one go but they're delicious in my opinion.
And actually some of them are pre -cooked so you only need to steep them for maybe 15 minutes and that's fine.
Yeah figure out if they're pre -cooked or not.
And every time when we talk about the origin of the Duang Wu Festival or the Dragon Boat Festival, it just makes me reflect on our history and culture.
And often, if you dig deeper into some of the origin stories of many major Chinese signature festivals or special dates or whatnot there's often this kind of tragic story of self -sacrifice or something that's really the exact opposite to the Hollywood happy ending everybody's happy kind of thing and well I'm not judging or anything but it just sort of spurs more interest of mine to try to find out more about these things and also I think it kind of reflects on a certain type of temperament or kind of thinking of the Chinese people.
We are, well, the inheritors of an ancient civilization and this Chuyang story every Chinese person would know and his poems are still alive today.
I don't think many of us can recite the whole thing but these are titles that we all know and yeah it's all part of our history part of our identity and every year this day you get a chance to sort of think about it again was there something and i'm putting you on the spot here so i apologize but was there something about Chu Yuan the poet because would it have been common for a poet to stay as well known to have their poems as well known throughout the history of this country as opposed to another poet or another artist what was it about you Yuan that had that lasting power if that's the right
way to put it? I think it's because he's well known already when he was alive being a poet and then people would like to commemorate his being a kind of a sacrificing himself of, I mean, for the whole state of the true.
And that's why I think people would have that kind of mindset of commemorating him and I think that stories as Hye Young said, give these festivals a little bit of cultural heritage atmosphere making these festivals even more enchanting to make people will you know spend a day on this kind of festival and that is why thinking September 2009 UNESCO added Duanwu festival to the intangible cultural heritage list and which is the first Chinese festival to receive the honor and it was made as a national holiday in 2008.
And also there's something in our very long history that I think there has been this understanding that's been passed on generation to generation, dynasty to dynasty, that is, for the intelligentsia circle of people, like a magistrate or a poet or a scholar to have a certain kind of integrity.
And your dreams and ambition shouldn't just be writing articles, but it should be shouldering some kind of responsibility of influencing the state.
And that includes advising to your king or well, Emperor later on in the Chinese empire or something like that.
And then with the t 'yuan story, he was known as someone who would take up advisory role and would not back down when the king was not following his advice but if you think that what you're doing what your suggestion is good for the country then there is you know that integrity that you should stake your stance.
But often the suggestion of the intelligentsia is not accepted and And then you get so many poems and ancient writings throughout Chinese history of hundreds of years of these scholars lamenting, oh, one day if my king could hear me.
And that's like a huge part of a lot of these ancient writings.
Of course, you can argue, you know, whether you have the king's ear or not, it's part of fortune, part of really how useful is the suggestion you're making, and many other factors.
But it's interesting how this kind of tradition is passed down.
And I guess that's why you said when we started today that this holiday, it's one of the big ones in the country, but it just hits a little bit different.
I think so. Yeah. And how are traditional dragon boat festival celebrations observed today?
We kind of mentioned those two with the origin story But tell us how is it still alive today?
Mm -hmm? first of all is of course something about eating zones or rice dumpling which is a pyramid shaped with glutinous rice wrapped in reed or bamboo leaves Which is the signature food of the day and also in northern China people prefer sweet feelings such as red bean paste or jujubes and also in southern part of the country folks also like the savory kind filled with maybe pork Ham salted egg yolk and also other meaty content.
That's quite that's a little bit different from other I think traditions or custom because southern people are known for eating sweet things, but in this case northern people prefer sweet feelings of zongzi.
I think southern people are more used to that kind of savory feelings.
Is this a topic of debate between the southern parts and the northern parts of the country?
Our zongzi is better than yours?
Right? I figured. And also, these days, zongzi, well, it's so easy to be bought everywhere, But some people still make them at home mm -hmm Yeah So around this time of the year Zonesy is easily found in maybe Supermarkets as you say you found them and also on e -commerce platforms how but some families still prefer to practice the tradition of making a zones or making the dish of zones at home so When but it is that kind of a thing I think mostly would be maybe the grandparents they still have the custom of making right stumplings with their grandchildren grandchildren will just stay there and see
because that's the image in my mind family activity yeah you know and it's quite fun because you will always have to make a you know pyramid shape by using the leaves and it could be quite hand crafty for a lot of kids to be honest yeah it's really difficult i don't i wouldn't know how to make them and how to, I can just imagine the rice falling out every time, and after giving it three tries, I completely lose my patience.
Open up the app and order some on line.
Yeah, let's just do that instead.
Yeah right. But it'll be a fantastic, and a warm family activity to do together.
And every dragon boat festival sparks the sweet versus savory tons of debate, like Steve kind of assumed, and you got it completely correct.
but with a greater population mobility in this country and curiosity about new flavors, the once clear divide between North and Southern tastes is fading.
And we're seeing that regional preferences are possibly blending, and I can see this in Beijing.
Because in Beijing, we're considered definitely located in the Northern part of the country, and now having the savory, meaty zongzi as well as the sweet zongzi you gotta have both i think you gotta have both yeah right why why skip one when you can have the best of both worlds yeah and what are some of the latest trends on zongzi have shown up this year yeah people are getting more self -conscious i would say recent survey of major supermarkets and stores in changsha capital city of hunan province in central china reveals new trends in this year's zones market a strong shift towards health -conscious
options with maybe low fat and low sugar varieties emerging as favorites.
E -commerce platform JD Supermarket showing that cells of health -focused zones have surged 177 % year -on -year with ingredients such as medicinal herbs and also whole grains gaining popularity.
I wouldn't say that would be exactly the same taste of traditional zones but well people have you know people even have like jelly taste zones nowadays so I don't think that's weird anymore yeah sorry do you mean like watery jelly yeah that kind of thing oh I know there is a famous coffee brand who make a disaster it's like the worst localization attempt ever but I will not say more you know I said I got My first ones, they were given out for free at the shop the other night, and we haven't cooked them yet.
But I'm guessing, this is a holiday treat, if I want my zongzi, I want my zongzi to be a little unhealthy and delicious, and sweet and savory, and all the good stuff.
You're not eating it every day for the whole year.
I don't need any medicinal herbs and grains in my zongzi, listen to me, I've never even tried one yet, but I just want it to be kind of fatty and delicious.
I think yes, that's what I love.
But also, I think maybe the country or the consumers have been through all of that.
Yeah. In the previous decade or so, I hear people talking about the more luxurious, the meatier, the better.
Some even put, like, abalone in them.
So that's an expensive shell fish.
Actually, well, shell creature that kind of seafood in the zongzi but now it seems like people kind of long for these simpler and healthier options and even the plain rice zongzi is like really cool.
Is this snack only enjoyed during this particular festival?
Kind of a once a year thing.
Yes it is. But you can still buy it from the stores any time actually.
But you'll probably need to look harder.
If it's not this day.
I what kind of store do you visit obviously not mine.
Yeah to be honest. That's a quite common breakfast to me Okay, and you're from Wuxi, right?
Yeah when I was studying southern part of China All right And also dragon boat race that is big on this day and during the weeks Ahead of time and maybe a couple of weeks After as well.
So that must be exciting Absolutely.
Dragon boats are thus named because the fore and stern of the boat resembles the silhouette of the traditional Chinese long, or dragon, if you can understand it better.
Rowers race to the finish guided by a drummer who sets the rhythm and boosts morale.
How many rowers in a dragon boat, does it depend on the size of the boat?
Like they have different races with different size boats and different number crews.
I would think so. Yeah.
And if you're like a professional team, you've got to have a drummer at the I think the end of the boat.
And then it got to be very, very exciting drum beats to make the whole team do the same action when they're rowing.
Not every boat has a drummer.
Only the pro teams do.
I think so, because if it's not like like a pro game, then you can just do it yourself.
yeah I'll start my own put a DJ in the back but be careful with the music you choose because you've got to get people to really you know boost morale and row and row and row sorry just quickly so the the drummer in the the back or the front does it matter it doesn't matter but mostly at the end otherwise the The rowers would be, you know, covered by the image or the drum.
And then, so it's a consistent drum beat, and are they saying things like motivational things or, uh, sorry I'm so curious about this, again I'm learning about it for the very first time.
Are they saying motivational things or is it just like row, row, row like that?
Yeah, because you know different people from different areas will do this and then they may have different dialects, and maybe they will have different morale words and catch when they're rowing and maybe HA HA or GO GO or something like that.
Thank you, I'll stop asking questions now.
But something I would like to mention is that not as many people may actually take part in dragon boat rowing, to be honest. Not everyone can be that athletic to row a boat.
Actually that's quite a long river if you are doing a pro competition.
You need to practice every day kind of thing.
You can't just jump in.
Anyway, watching Dragon Boat races has become a popular way to spend the day of Dragon Boat Festival.
And these competitive events, especially being, you know, water -based and accompanied by these upbeat, drum beats are always energetic and also engaging and they create a very exciting atmosphere and are highly enjoyable to watch. And some of them are even, you know, extend to international stages.
I heard that I think Cambridge anyway, something on British team has that kind of sports as well.
Very cool. Yeah. Well, you know, between Oxbridge, they have that rowing race every year, but that's British and they're not in dragon boats, but they could be.
We send out the invitation.
And on May the 24th, the 2025 Mao Zhou He, Mao Zhou River Dragon Boat Race in Guangdong, Hong Kong Macau greater Bay Area kicked off and I checked out some of the video online.
It's very exciting.
There were 24 professional teams divided into three groups, you know, representing the Bay Area.
And then it was a lot of fun and a lot of people, there were a lot of spectators to put it in simple words.
And in addition to these two most widely observed traditions, what other practices are associated with this festival?
Yeah, and another, I think, must do, must to do thing is hanging the herbal bundles.
I think at the door, the front door of your home, I think.
The fifth month of traditional Chinese calendar was once called a poisonous month.
It's the peak of summer when insects thrive and diseases maybe spread more easily.
And that's why during the Dragon Boat Festival, people hand bundles of maybe mugwort and calamus on their doors and windows.
And these fragrant leaves aren't just for decoration, They were also believed to ward off insects and illness Is this something that's done over the course of the holiday or specifically on the day?
Mostly before the day You will get ready for everything and you will hand it on the door Okay Yeah and upside down Upside down?
Yeah, so you have the, sort of the root the stem bit Oops, sorry I've got I'm trying to demonstrate That's the dragon boat drummer Yes.
Drumming up the enthusiasm for Roundtable.
Yeah, so you you so it's imagine it as a mugwort bouquet and you hang it upside down so the stem is being wrapped together and then you place it on the door and then you you leave leave it hanging so the fragrance can be Can come out of the bouquet a little bit better and and it can last a bit a little bit longer and Also with the Chinese saying like oh, it's like is arrived So there's also this sort of a suspicious meaning Kind of thing and with this year's Duang Wu festival forming a long weekend that coincides with International Children's Day on June the first. Many families are planning getaways
or short getaways, I suppose.
And what are some of the new developments in travel during this holiday period?
Yeah, so as we're mentioning this as a kind of a longer weekend, and people are absolutely finding ways to maybe get a little bit further.
So destinations within a four hour flight zone, remained the top choice for outbound travel during the Duanwu festival.
Destinations like Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, lead the pack, while Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are emerging as potential dark horses this year.
Yeah. Booking platform SeaTrips data showing that short -haul international routes like Shanghai to Osaka, Shanghai to Hong Kong, Shanghai to Seoul, Beijing to Tokyo, and Beijing to Hong Kong.
All under three hours are especially popular due to visa convenions and also short flight times and hotel interest surged in destinations like Egypt which is 193 percent increase and also Russia which is 133 percent increase and also Vietnam is also quite popular with 119 percent increase.
Mm, Egypt definitely not within that four hour zone, but people might be attaching some of their personal leave holidays to this long weekend.
Yes, definitely. And given the fact that it's a three day long weekend holiday, a lot of the travelers are planning for also two hour destinations domestically, and also a lot of family trips as well What do we know about that?
Yeah, because this is also quite a festival for people to get reunion, I think And this year's overlap with International Children's Day has also driven a surge in family travel, of course Another online booking platform, 2neo reports that nearly 40 % of travelers during the holiday They are on parent -child trips with two to three day itineraries being the most popular.
And also people may be looking up for, maybe, family -friendly hotels, family -friendly tourist attractions and tourist destinations.
These are all popular search words online.
And also pet owners are bringing their furry companions along.
Really? Yeah, so see trip data also shows that pet -friendly hotel bookings are up over 20 % year -on -year And now making up nearly 20 % of listings and these hotels also charge a little bit more expensive about 30 % more than regular accommodations, but people would love to Book for these kind of yeah, they don't mind paying that extra little bit, right?
So it seems like the dragon boat festival holiday then is different from perhaps spring festival in the sense that that one, the latter is more family oriented and this one seems to be a, hey you've got a chance to maybe get away for a couple of days, four hour flight zone if you can get away there or maybe something family oriented, get out of the city for a couple of days.
That sounds what this one is more about.
I think so, and always have good food.
Yeah, well that's every holiday, isn't it.
Especially this year you don't need to get all of the tiao show Which means you will get a day off first, and then you need to compensate for it for that day this year You're not going to do that so that's why I think people are more happier about you know just go to a little bit of trip and You don't need to think about the
