Water splashes at sea

It is the tradition of residents of Fujian’s Hanjiang and Taiwan’s Lukang to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival by splashing water at sea.

This year Hanjiang hosted the 11th Fujian-Taiwan sea-crossing festival and the Hanjiang seawater splashing festival on May 30, the day of the Dragon Boat Festival. Visitors from China’s Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao, and Southeast Asian countries the Philippines, Singapore and Indonesia attended the festivals.

Nearly 50 vessels took part in the water splashing event near Quanzhou Bay on the afternoon of May 30. Participants used washbasins and buckets to throw water at people on other boats to offer blessings for safe sea voyages and peaceful lives.

Hanjiang town in Fujian celebrates Dragon Boat Festival, which fell on May 30 this year, with water splashing near Quanzhou Bay. [Photo/Shishi Daily WeChat account:ssrbwx]

The seaside town of Hanjiang is an important part of the history of Quanzhou’s seaborne commerce, which left cultural relics such as Liusheng Pagoda in Shihu village and Linluan Ferry. In the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it became a gateway to Taiwan through sea routes linkingTaiwan’s Lukang, enhancing trade and cultural exchanges.

The maritime traffic between Lukang and Hanjiang is recorded on a stele at the site of the Qing Dynasty’s coastal defense department in Hanjiang. And the seawater splashing event originated in this historical period.

A man throws water at another boat in Hanjiang town in Fujian during Dragon Boat Festival celebrations in Quanzhou Bay. [Photo/Shishi Daily WeChat account:ssrbwx]

Nanyin, the oldest musical genre in China, mixesd local Fujian music and music from the Central Plains from the Han (206 BC–AD 220) to the Song (960-1279) dynasties. Nanyin music also served as a cultural tie among visitors. This year, 400 music enthusiasts belonging to 18 nanyin troupes from southern China and Southeast Asia celebrated the unique musical form with choruses and parades in Hanjiang.