Remarks by H.E. Ambassador Shi-Ting Wang at the Function of Dragon Boat Festival 2016
2016-06-10 22:20

(Kamazu College of Nursing, June 10, 2016)

  Hon. Dr. Emmanuel Fabiano, Minister of Education, Science and Technology,

  His Worship Willie Chapondera, Mayor for the City of Lilongwe,

  Colleagues from Diplomatic Corps,

  Ladies and Gentlemen,

  It is my great pleasure to come to the beautiful campus of Kamuzu College of Nursing, and join you in the function of “Dragon Boat Festival 2016”. This is the first time that the Chinese Embassy, in collaboration of Confucius Institute, holds this kind of function.

  Please allow me to express my gratitude to Professor Feng Jianguo and his team for introducing the Dragon Boat Festival to our Malawian friends. And my special thanks go to His Honourable Dr. Emmanuel Fabiano. It is the Honourable Minister who signed the Agreement between China and Malawi on August 20, 2013, when he served as the Vice Chancellor of University of Malawi (Unima). Without your great efforts, we would not be able to conduct Chinese courses and introduce traditional Chinese culture here in Malawi.

  The Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional holiday in China, with the longest history of more than 2000 years. It is celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th Chinese lunar month, usually in June in the Gregorian calendar. The festival commemorates the patriotic poet Qu Yuan (340-278 BC), and also acts as a chance for Chinese people to build their bodies and dispel diseases. Many legends circulate around the festival but the most popular is the legend of Qu Yuan.

  As a country with more than 5000 years of history and civilization, China has attached great importance to Patriotism since ancient times. The Poet Qu Yuan is memorized for thousands of years, not only for his time-honored poems, but more importantly for his deep love and sacrifice to his country. Patriotism is the mental power that drives people to protect our country, love our motherland and build our harmonious society. I’m glad to know that Malawians are also developing the country with the motivation of patriotism.

  It has not been long since China and Malawi started the diplomatic relations, yet the cooperation and exchanges in almost all areas have been developing rapidly. The Confucius Institute in Unima will open a new page of cultural exchanges.

  Last but not least, I hope everyone could spend a nice day by tasting and appreciating the Chinese culture. I also hope one day you could visit China to have an in-depth understanding of this ancient and modern country.

  Thank you!

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