STORY: Celebration held in Istanbul to mark China's Dragon Boat Festival
DATELINE: June 16, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:58
LOCATION: ISTANBUL, Türkiye
CATEGORY: CULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Istanbul
2. various of people celebrating the upcoming Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Istanbul
3. various of China's deputy consul general in Istanbul Wu Jian speaking
4. various of activities

STORYLINE:

A celebration was held on Thursday in Türkiye's largest city Istanbul to mark the upcoming traditional Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on June 22 this year.

The event, which was organized by the Confucius Institute of Istanbul-based Okan University, featured activities such as tasting Zongzi, a pyramid-shaped dumpling made of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves, and displays of Chinese calligraphy and the traditional Chinese tea ceremony, among others.

The Dragon Boat Festival, which is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, is marked to commemorate Qu Yuan (about 340-278 BC), a poet who is known today for his patriotism and contributions to classical verse.

Speaking at the event, Wu Jian, China's deputy consul general in Istanbul, thanked the participants for celebrating one of China's most ancient festivals together.

Stating that China and Türkiye have always attached great importance to intercultural cooperation, Wu said the festival is an important occasion to show unity and solidarity.

Guliz Mugan, vice president of Okan University, said the university's Confucius Institute is making a lot of efforts to better introduce Chinese culture to Turks through public events.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Istanbul, Türkiye.
(XHTV)