MUKAMI: China’s Dragon Boat Festival shows power of preserving culture

More than 2,000 years ago, a poet threw himself into a river. In July 2020, his words helped name a spacecraft headed for Mars. Few countries can claim such a bridge between history and modernity. Yet China can.

The spacecraft was Tianwen-1, China's first mission to Mars. Its name came from Tianwen ("Questions to the Universe"), a poem written by Qu Yuan more than two millennia ago. The connection seems unusual. What does an ancient poet have to do with space explorations? The answer lies in a question that Africa should perhaps ask itself more often: how do some societies keep their past alive enough to shape their future?

The question is especially relevant as China just celebrated the annual Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu Festival) from June 19, recognising one of its most cherished traditional festivals.

Observed on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar, the festival is famous for dragon boat races and zongzi, the sticky rice dumplings eaten during the celebrations.

The dragon boat race is often described as a sport, but it is perhaps better understood as a living performance where tradition, teamwork and determination move in rhythm across generations. Very poetic, but on water. It is about memory and not really just about the boats.

The festival was inscribed on Unesco's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009, recognised for its role in fostering cultural identity, promoting mutual understanding and transmitting traditions from one generation to another. Every race, every drumbeat and every dumpling tells a story that has survived for more than 2,000 years.

At the centre of that story stands Qu Yuan. Born during China's Warring States Period  (475-221 BC), Qu Yuan served as a high-ranking minister in the State of Chu.

He advocated for integrity in government and warned against dangerous political alliances. His views won him admiration among ordinary people but earned him enemies within the political establishment.

Eventually exiled, Qu Yuan turned to poetry. His writings expressed grief for his declining state, love for his people and unwavering commitment to principle. Works such as Li Sao (Encountering Sorrow), Jiu Ge (Nine Songs), and Tianwen (Questions to the Universe) became foundational texts in Chinese literature.

What made Qu Yuan remarkable was not merely his literary skill. It was his refusal to separate personal integrity from public service.

He became a symbol of the honest official who speaks truth to power even when doing so comes at great personal cost.

According to tradition, when the Chu capital fell to the Qin state in 278 BC, Qu Yuan drowned himself in the Miluo River.

Villagers rushed out in boats to save him and threw rice dumplings into the water to prevent fish from consuming his body.

Since then, generations chose to preserve the story, and therein lies a lesson that extends far beyond China. The real legacy of Qu Yuan was not his death. It was his questions.

One of his most celebrated works, Tianwen, consists of more than 170 questions about creation, the universe, mythology, history and human existence.

Rather than offering answers, Qu Yuan challenged readers to think critically about the world around them. More than 2,000 years later, those questions continue to resonate.

When China named its first Mars mission Tianwen-1, it was making a remarkable statement. Scientific innovation was not being presented as a break from tradition.

It was being presented as the continuation of a conversation that began more than two millennia ago. Modernisation and cultural preservation portrayed as partners and not as opposites.

This may be one of China's most overlooked achievements. While many societies fear that globalisation eventually erodes tradition, China has often sought to integrate cultural heritage into contemporary life.

Ancient festivals remain widely celebrated. Classical literature continues to be taught. Historical figures remain part of public discussions. Cultural heritage is not treated as just antiques but as resources, and that distinction matters.

Too often, cultural preservation is reduced to protecting old buildings, monuments or museum collections. These are important, but they are only part of the story.

The deeper purpose of preservation is continuity. It provides communities with a sense of identity and belonging.

It strengthens social unity. It transmits historical lessons across generations. It creates common reference points that help societies navigate change without losing themselves in the process.

Most importantly, it transforms history from something remembered, into something useful.

Africa is no stranger to rich cultural traditions. Across the continent there are extraordinary oral histories, songs, literature, artistic traditions and historical figures whose influence shaped entire societies.

Kenya alone can point to figures such as Mekatilili wa Menza, Dedan Kimathi, Koitalel Arap Samoei and Tom Mboya. Their stories continue to inspire discussions about resistance, leadership and nationhood.

Yet, how many African historical figures continue to influence daily life beyond commemorative speeches, public holidays and school examinations? How many traditional stories inspire scientific missions, technological innovations or contemporary public debate? How many cultural practices remain living traditions rather than museum exhibits? Africa's challenge is not a shortage of heritage. It is ensuring that heritage remains relevant.

The Dragon Boat Festival offers a valuable insight. This cultural heritage is not just preserved but also performed. Communities participate in it. Schools teach it. Families celebrate it. Young people inherit it. Cultural memory survives because people actively commit to engaging and practising it. A civilisation endures because it never stops retelling its stories.

There is also a broader international dimension to this discussion. Cultural preservation creates opportunities for cultural diplomacy by allowing communities from different backgrounds and countries to engage with one another through shared experiences.

Festivals, literature, food and artistic traditions often build understanding more effectively than official political statements.

For instance, in Africa, the Dragon Boat Festival is a rapidly growing cultural and sporting event, often acting as a bridge for Sino-African friendship and people-to-people exchanges.

Since 2016, when it was first held in Egypt on the River Nile, it has continued to gain popularity and is now widely celebrated across the continent.

This year, festivities and commemorative events took place in some African countries, reflecting the festival’s growing appeal and cultural significance.

In Nairobi, the occasion was marked by cultural performances, exhibitions and the sharing of traditional cuisine.

The Embassy of China in Kenya has previously hosted high school students who learnt more about the festival and were treated to Chinese delicacies traditionally enjoyed during the holiday. The Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi also celebrated the festival in 2024.

The Dragon Boat Festival recently was celebrated in South Africa too, comprising a two-day event at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town; it was the fourth consecutive year the festival has been celebrated there.

Mauritius is also known for celebrating the festival every year. In Uganda, dragon boat races have been held since 2017 in Lake Victoria, drawing large crowds of Chinese, Ugandan, and European participants.

As Chinese and African communities increasingly interact through educational exchanges, tourism and cultural events, celebrations such as the Dragon Boat Festival provide opportunities for these shared experiences. They remind us that preserving culture is not about isolation. It is about sharing identity with confidence.

Qu Yuan never saw a dragon boat race. He never imagined Unesco. He certainly never imagined explorations in Mars.

Yet more than 2,000 years after his death, his questions continue to travel farther than he ever could. That may be the most exciting aspect of the Dragon Boat Festival.

Cultural preservation is not nostalgia. It is continuity. A society that remembers its stories gains more than pride. It gains direction.

The challenge for Africa is not whether it possesses rich cultures, heroes, poets and traditions worthy of remembrance. Without a doubt it has them.

The challenge is whether 2,000 years from now, future generations will still find reasons to celebrate them.

The writer is the project coordinator, China Media Group Africa