2nd Session of Xishan Leading Reader Program by Yada Academy Held Successfully

On the afternoon of June 11th, 2nd Session of Xishan Leading Reader Program under the theme of “Yangxian Custom and Dragon Boat Festival Convention – Yangxian Custom Notes by Zhou Chu Reading Session” was successfully held at Yada Life Bookstore of Yada Yangxian Xishan. Yada staff and residents of Yangxian Xishan attended the event.

Mr. Xu Jianyan, the folklorist of Yixing, as the leading reader of this event, introduced the humanity history and Dragon Boat Festival convention in Yixing based on Yangxian Custom Notes by Mr.  Zhou Chu.

Custom Notes by Mr. Zhou Chu is the earliest book on local climate and other natural phenomena of a season with profound impact. The original version has been lost for a long time.  In Qing Dynasty, Mr. Wang Mo extracted quotes from Custom Notes in more than 10 ancient books, including Imperial Reading, Taiping World-wide Record and Yi Wen Lei Ju and compiled into Yangxian Custom Notes. Yangxian Custom Notes investigated Yixing’s geographic location, historical development, mountains and lakes, Wu Yue Custom, rhythm in four seasons and etc. in detail. It describes the convention in Dragon Boat Festival in which some have been handed so far such as making zongzi, lacing color ropes, hanging wormwood, boat race and etc.

During the exchange, Yada staff and residents from Gansu, Shandong, Shaanxi, Guangzhou, Beijing and Tianjin, shared the custom and seasonal food of Dragon Boat Festival in their own hometowns. Although these customs are not the same, they deliver the same meaning for health and good life.

A little resident from Lake community of Yada Yangxian Xishan recited a poem to express her sincere wishes on Dragon Boat Festival to the audience present.

On the event site, there were many festival-featured items, such as materials for zongzi, calamus and wormwood, perfume satchels, bellybands with the prints of the five poisonous creatures, five-colored ropes and five-colored eggs. They displayed the festival custom more directly. Participants also experienced the festival cultural activities, such as dotting a cinnabar spot on the face and lacing the five-colored ropes around the wrist, in the event. All of them had a good implied meaning for receiving fortune and avoiding risk.

The event also offered freshly steamed zongzi. The audience could enjoy strong festival atmosphere by tasting the featured food while talking about the festival.

This event was the first activity of “Enjoy Dragon Boat Festival at Xishan” series activities held by Yada Academy. Yangxian Xishan Dragon Boat Festival Celebration began with it.

On June 12th and 13th, the second theme activity “Dragon Boat Festival Custom Experience” will be held at the round square of Yada Academy. It will display many conventions of the festival. On June 14th, the third theme activity “Happy Neighborhood Gathering on Dragon Boat Festival” will be held at No.23 Hall of Bamboo complex. In virtue of these abundant community culture activities, residents of Yada Yangxian Xishan will spend a joyful and fulfilling holiday here.