The surging water of the Yangtze River passes the towering gorges and pours into the reservoir, with music resounding everywhere. On the morning of June 6, the opening ceremony of the 2019 Dragon Boat Festival in Qu Yuan’s hometown was held in Zigui County, with poets and scholars from cross-strait, Qu Yuan’s offspring and people from all circles gathering at the Qu Yuan Square commemorating the poet.

　　“Drums from Dragon boats on the river are resonating with endless new orange songs; the patriotism and pursuit of truth will be passed on from generation to generation in the ecological and picturesque Zigui County”. The Dragon Boat Festival in Qu Yuan’s hometown started with an original song-dance called“Maturing Oranges on Green Mountains with Blue Water”which reflects the spirit of the times. Zigui, as an ecological and green town with a new look and a history of more than two thousand years, embraced by the magnificent Three Gorges Dam, displays to the world its infinite charm as “the hometown of navel orange, of poetry, of dragon boat, of folk culture and art, and of food as well as the most beautiful shooting location in China”.

　　With trumpets sounding and drums beating, the leaders and guests who attended the ceremony walked slowly to the altar to present flower baskets; the poets, scholars and advanced representatives presented bluegrass; and the descendants of Qu Yuan from cross-straits scattered petals. The audience on the square all stood up and bowed three times to the altar. The scene was pervaded with an atmosphere mourning Qu Yuan for his indomitable soul and his great spirit.

　　“The Dragon Boat Festival falls on the lunar calendar of May 5, 2019, with distinguished guests from all over the world gathering in the hometown of poetry. In front of Qu Yuan Temple on the river bank, the sounding drums are narrating our sincere worship for the poet, a descendant of the Yan and Huang Emperors, who was born in Zigui County and belonged to the pedigree of Gaoyang…” These words from Ode to Qu Yuanexpress our memory and praise for his spirit, and show the strong belief of the people from his hometown in a well-off society and the realization of the Chinese dream.

　　After the sacrifice, 280 students chanted the song of Motherland, My Dear Motherlandin unison. Their patriotic enthusiasm surged over the magnificent mountains and the river; Stronger Love with Every Dragon Boat Festivalcomposed with a new melody of the time sings the new chapter of high-quality development in Zigui. And nine guests made the finishing touch to the dragon. At that time, the singing, the dragon dance and the drums brought the whole activity to a climax.

　　Zigui is Qu Yuan’s homeland, and he is the spiritual symbol of Zigui. The Dragon Boat Festival expresses people’s remembrance and commemoration of him, the great patriotic poet, embodies the Chinese people’s longing for a better life, and reflects the Chinese nation’s simple and profound patriotism.

　　This year is the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 10th anniversary of the Dragon Boat Cultural Festival’s Inclusion into the List of Human Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. The Dragon Boat Cultural Festival in Qu Yuan’s hometown has launched a series of activities with distinctive features, rich contents and novel forms with a theme of “Our Dragon Boat Festival Belongs to the World”. On June 3, 9,478 people in Zigui made zongzi together, creating the Guinness world record of “the most people make zongzi”. The festival is becoming a people’s grand gathering to pass on and carry forward intangible cultural heritage, an exchange meeting to enhance national emotional identity, and a grand meeting to promote cooperation and the integrated development of cultural and tourism industries through the participation of all the people.

　　Wang Guobin, member of Yichang Municipal Standing Committee and director of Publicity Department, announced the opening of the Festival. Liu Weiling, member of Municipal Standing Committee and Deputy Mayor, attended the opening ceremony. (Reporters: Ruan Zhongmou and Yang Chunyan; Trainee Reporter: Wang Ke; Correspondent: Zhou Huashan)