2nd Dragon Boat Festival:
- Saturday, 16th June 2018
- At Uganda Wildlife Education Center, Entebbe (9 AM – 6PM)
Preparations for the second Dragon Boat festival are in high gear.
For starters, the Dragon Boat festival will take place this coming Saturday, 16th June 2018 at the Uganda Wildlife Center, Entebbe.
The Dragon Boat festival is organized by the Chinese community in Uganda under the China Africa Friendship Association of Uganda, Entebbe Municipality, Uganda Tourism Board and Uganda Wildlife Education Center.
China’s ambassador to Uganda Zheng Zhu Qiang talks about this whole event;
Every year between May and June, many dragon boat festivals take place in China and in other parts of the world. This is the second time that it is happening in Uganda and we are happy about the whole event. We look forward towards a successful event in Entebbe
The Chinese Embassy in Uganda has made the lion’s share of financial contribution with Shs 200M towards the entire organization.
Kehong Group, a Chinese based organization also aided with a Shs 40M donation to the local teams that will be led by celebrated kick boxer Moses “Of Uganda” Golola.
Ambassador Qiang handed over the dummy cheque to the Vice President of Uganda, Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi.
Ssekandi expressed gratitude by the offer;
I am glad that the management of Kehong Group made this financial contribution to facilitate the local teams so that they compete with many foreign sides. This was a great gesture.
Kehong Group also donated 200Kg of locally grown Foxtail millet flour.
Vincent Musubire, chairman of the organizing committee Dragon Boat Festival highlighted that the festival will entail many activities.
They include a cultural trade expo where Uganda and Chinese organisations will exhibit trade items and services themed under fashion, food, health and hospitality services.
There will be cultural games involving spectacular kite shows, martial arts, tug rope competitions, acrobatic displays, cultural dance competitions, language articulation.
Other activities include; music and dance and tug rope competitions, cultural cuisines; Chinese and Uganda menu will be presented.
Musubire said there will be competitive boating race of teams. He said the dragon boats will be specially branded with a ‘dragon top’ and sticker of the competing team.
The rowing teams will be comprised of professional rowers, competing teams have the choice of using their team members as back up or hiring extra professional rowers.
The chairman of China Africa Friendship Association of Uganda, Eng. Benon Mugarura noted that the target of the organization to carry out activities that will benefit Uganda and China private sectors in the people to people trade (exchange of goods and services) business investments, cultural and social interests.
Through this festival we hope to go a long way to promote friendship and cultural exchanges between China and Uganda. The Dragon Boat festival strengthens bonds within families, communities it establishes a harmonious relationship between humanity and nature
The dragon boat festival has its origins over 2,000 years ago in China.
It was intended to commemorate a patriotic poet Qu Yuan who was devoted to his country with heart and soul. It has grown into one of the most important traditional festivals in China.