On the afternoon of June 21, 2023, a themed lecture on “Health and Well-being during the Dragon Boat Festival” as part of the “Religious Pursuits in Zhejiang - Hangzhou Traditional Cultural Lecture Series” was held at Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou. This event aims to promote excellent Chinese traditional culture at religious places. The monastic manager of Lingyin Temple and vice president of Hangzhou Buddhist Academy Venerable Master Jiefa was invited to give a detailed account of the long history and rich cultural connotations of the Dragon Boat Festival with reference to the traditional culture and Buddhist culture. More than 50 volunteers from Yunlin Volunteers attended the lecture.
Venerable Master Jiefa guided the participants at the lecture to understand the importance of the Dragon Boat Festival as a Chinese traditional festival by asking “three questions.” In his fun and interactive presentation, Venerable Master Jiefa introduced the similarities and differences between the ways, customs, and foods of celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival in the southern and northern regions of China. With “four statements,” he summarized how Chinese people have continuously enriched the form and connotation of the Dragon Boat Festival since ancient times, reflecting Chinese people’s respect for and pursuit of nature, life and harmony. Venerable Master Jiefa also summed up the humanistic spirit of the Dragon Boat Festival into four aspects: noble patriotism, harmonious ecological outlook in accordance with nature, collectivism, and inclusiveness of Chinese culture. He hoped that everyone could fully incorporate the cultural connotations and historical spirit of Dragon Boat Festival into their lives in various ways, making it a truly vibrant and modern festival.
