On Sunday the ‘Nihao! China’ Cambridge Dragon Boat festival took place on the Cam at Jesus Green, and I was very pleased to captain a boat of Labour councillors and their friends and family members as we took part in a day of thrilling and energetic races. With twelve boats taking part, we had three races in total and – to my real joy – we finished all three and improved our performance each time!
I’m really grateful to my fellow women councillors for coming out in support of the day, and to the rest of the crew who all put in so much hard work. The Dragon Boat Festival isn’t just a great day of fun on the river, it is a traditional Chinese holiday that occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar, which falls late May or early June in the Gregorian calendar. It commemorates Qu Yuan who lived around 300BCE and was the prime minister of the southern Chinese state of Chu and is celebrated by holding dragon boat races and eating sticky rice dumplings called zongzi.
In the evening I was a guest at the Welcome Banquet in Jesus College, along with our new mayor Cllr Dinah Pounds and my good friend Wei Sun, Chairman of the Chinese Community Centre in Cambridge. It was lovely evening, with great conversation, excellent speeches, and delicious food – which I enjoyed even more after my energetic day!
For me as a Hongkonger, these connections to the Chinese community in Cambridge are a reminder of home, a way for me to celebrate my background and heritage, and an important reminder that Cambridge is and must remain a City that welcomes and supports people from around the world.