site.btaDragon Boat Festival Held in Yambol

Bulgarian and Chinese traditions are showcased at a two-day Dragon Boat Festival in Yambol this weekend. The event was officially opened Saturday by Yambol Mayor Valentin Revanski, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Bulgaria Dai Qingli, and Deputy Tourism Minister Mariela Modeva.

The festival programme includes dragon boat races on the Tundzha River, martial arts demonstrations and other sporting events, a Chinese car show, a farmers’ and crafts fair, and a musical programme featuring song and dance ensembles and solo performers. Among them are the Chinari folk dance ensemble, Stefan Valdobrev, the Yambol Brass Band of the Soglasie – 1862 Community Centrе, as well as other local and visiting groups.

The festival is organized by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Bulgaria and Yambol Municipality. It is held in cooperation with the Dragon Boat Festival Association, the Chinese Cultural Centre in Sofia, and the Confucius Institute, with China Motor Bulgaria serving as the main sponsor and partner.

At the opening, Mayor Revalski said that Yambol's central park is becoming a place where two exceptionally rich and ancient cultures meet. He drew a parallel between the need for coordination in steering a traditional 20-person Chinese boat and the need for perseverance and team spirit to achieve a goal. “This can be a lesson for any society - if we work together and move in the same direction, we can achieve a great deal,” said Revanski.

Deputy Tourism Minister Modeva said that the dragon boats represent the opportunity to move forward as a team, to build bridges, to get to know one another better, and to understand one another. “This remarkable Chinese tradition is also inscribed on the UNESCO list; it is part of the world’s cultural heritage and carries universal messages of unity, cooperation, and solidarity,” Modeva added.

Ambassador Dai Qingli thanked Yambol Municipality for hosting the event and noted that in recent years, Dragon Boat Festivals have also been organized in other cities across the country. “These events have become a vivid symbol of the closeness and friendship between our peoples. It is essential for countries to join hands and move forward together,” the diplomat said.

In addition to representatives of the organizers and partners, guests at the opening ceremony included Members of Parliament from Yambol Region Stoyan Petkov and Ivan Dimitrov, Tundzha Municipality Mayor Stancho Stavrev, Yambol Municipal Council Chair Anton Shikov, and Yambol Deputy Regional Governor Slavomir Ivanov.

Before the festival programme began, the hosts and official guests took a stroll through Yambol’s central park, and Mayor Revanski and Ambassador Dai Qingli faced off in an impromptu table tennis match.