Bulgarians enjoy Dragon Boat Festival

SOFIA — On the meadows by the Pancharevo Lake in Sofia, thousands of spectators reveled in the festive joy and food offerings on Saturday as the first Dragon Boat Festival celebration kicked off in Bulgaria.

Jorg Hein, a German living in Bulgaria, told Xinhua News Agency that he had been to China before and the Dragon Boat Festival was one of the many things he missed about China.

"Now, I have the opportunity to see this here in Sofia, live!" he said.

The two-day event, which was organized by the Chinese embassy in Bulgaria and Bulgaria's Dragon Boat Festival Association, began with a dragon dance performance by an ensemble from China.

Chinese Ambassador to Bulgaria Dong Xiaojun said at the opening ceremony that the Dragon Boat Festival was the first Chinese traditional festival to be added to UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It was widely recognized as a cultural symbol and an emotional link between antiquity and modernity, between China and the world.

The first Dragon Boat Festival in Bulgaria had special significance for several reasons, including the spirit of solidarity and teamwork, the beauty and mutual learning between cultures, and the longstanding friendship between China and Bulgaria, Dong said.

The boat race was "very pleasant, very nice, something new for us", famous Bulgarian acrobat Encho Keryazov told Xinhua after the end of his team's race. He was the captain of the "Dragon Tundzha" team from Yambol town.

Team rowing

"I have rowed a canoe, a kayak. The difference is that dragon boat racing is team rowing, and the feeling is much more pleasant when you row with your friends," a woman named Ermina from the "Survivor" team told Xinhua.

A similar event was also held elsewhere in Europe over the weekend. In the Slovakian capital Bratislava, visitors were treated to a taste of Chinese culture during the Dragon Boat Festival celebration.

The Confucius Institute in Bratislava organized a performance on the bank and then a culture-laden boat trip along the river to mark the traditional Chinese festival with a history of thousands of years. The Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth month in the Chinese lunar calendar.

"I am fascinated by the differences in our cultures. Once you get to know them (the Chinese), they are very warmhearted," a passenger named Martina Sliacka said.

Xinhua