Dragon Boat Festival

Singapore - Bak Chang is here finally. "Bak Chang" is the hokkien name for rice dumplings. The Mandarin name is called "Zong Zi" - this is also the only time when my mum-in-law makes hundreds of Bak Chang and give to our family in couple of tens.

When I was in KL, I tried some rice dumplings from "YY Famous dumplings" @ Mid Valley Megamall - very tasty about RM4-5 each. They have Cantonese Chang, Nonya Chang, Hakka Chang, Chicken Chang and Golden Chang. I tried they Hakka Chang, Golden Chang and Chicken Chang.

Now a days, you can buy Bak Chang every day, not only during Duan Wu Jie. My regular 'kuek' or cake stall sells Nonya chang (sweet and no soy sauce is used in the preparation so the skin is whiter) or Cantonese chang (salty with chestnut).




Tradition
Bak Chang or Zong Zi is traditionally eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival (Duan Wu Jie) which falls on the fifth day of the fifth moon of the Chinese calendar (approximately early- to mid-June), commemorating the death of Qu Yuan, a famous Chinese poet from the kingdom of Chu who lived during the Warring States period. Known for his patriotism, Qu Yuan tried unsuccessfully to warn his king and countrymen against the expansionism of their Qin neighbors. When the Qin Dynasty general Bai Qi took Yingdu, the Chu capital, in 278 BC, Qu Yuan's grief was so intense that he drowned himself in the Miluo river after penning the Lament for Ying. According to legend, rice dumplings were thrown into the river to prevent fish from eating the poet's body.

The fifth month is normally a month with a great deal of rainfall that threatens to ruin young crops. In traditional China, the Double Fifth was a day of misfortune: the fifth month was considered an evil month and the fifth day of the month was particularly evil. On this day, the mystical river dragons, who had sovereignty over water, needed to be placated so that the dragons would bless the community with an optimal amount of rainfall. Rituals surrounding the theme of dragon were then developed.




Dragon Boat Races
Originating in Southern China over 2000 years ago, dragon boat racing started gathering interest in the western world in the 1970s. Today, it is both a recreational and a highly competitive sport enjoyed by people of all ages in over 50 countries or territories around the world. Dragon boat racing is increasingly popular as a component in corporate team building retreats and charitable fundraising events, particularly for promoting breast cancer awareness.

Current races
Penang - International Dragon Boat Festival 2007 (28th Anniversary) - 8-10 June 2007
Singapore - 30th June - 1st July 2007 - 10am to 6pm - Bedok Reservoir