The Dragon Boat Festival in Boston
Go Global
By Wu Qinglang
At noon on Jun 11, the opening ceremony of the 44th Boston Dragon Boat Festival was held on the bank of Charles River, which runs across the city.
Invited by the organizers in her sister city, Boston, the Hangzhou Municipal Government and Hangzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, TV, and Tourism participated in the festival and presented the festival organizing committee a dragon boat printed with the image of Hangzhou city.
Among the countless dragon boats at the festival, the dragon boat with a light blue hull painted with "Heaven on Earth" and "Hangzhou--Living Poetry" looked distinguishing.
The booth of Hangzhou was surrounded by many local residents and race participants, making it one of the popular booths on the opening ceremony. Fun games including sepaktakraw, pitch pots, painted eggs, dragon boat puzzles with Chinese characteristics were held at the booth. A lot of visitors came to play, asking questions and winning prizes. More than 10,000 copies of the promotional materials were requested.
This year marks the 41st year of friendship between Hangzhou and Boston, and this Dragon Boat Festival serves as an important link between the two cities.
Besides, the Hangzhou Culture and Tourism Roadshow was also launched in Boston on June 14.
When two communities from different countries came together to forge a cordial and meaningful relationship, a Sister City friendship was formally bonded. After so many years of exchanges in culture, ideas, and education, the mutual understanding and goodwill between Hangzhou and Boston have been steadily growing.