​Village makes zongzi to celebrate Dragon Boat Festival

Zimei zongzi made by residents of Shen'ao village, Jiangnan town, Tonglu county, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Residents of Shen'ao village made zongzi, or sticky rice dumplings, on May 31 to celebrate the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on June 3 this year.

The village, with a history of about 1,000 years, is located in Jiangnan town, Tonglu county, East China's Zhejiang province.

People from the village made Zimei zongzi and Changshou zongzi, both of which are very different from normal dumplings in terms of both appearance and production process.

Zhou Yalian is a master at making the characteristic zongzi and helps villagers make them every year.

Zimei zongzi, or Sister zongzi, is named as such due to the fact that it contains two small dumplings that are linked together. It represents unity and friendship.

Meanwhile, Changshou zongzi, or Longevity zongzi, is shaped like a long tube, or a door latch, and is complicated to make.

Making a Longevity zongzi involves wrapping glutinous rice, 12 red dates and peanuts in 12 large reed leaves. After the dumpling is made, red paper bearing phrases which express wishes for health and longevity will be glued onto them.

According to Xu Ying, president of the women's federation of Shen'ao village, it is also a tradition in the village for the grandmother to send two pairs of Longevity zongzi to her grandchildren when they are a month old and one year old so that they can grow up safely, stay healthy and live a long life.

The ingredients of a Changshou zongzi, or Longevity zongzi. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Three Longevity zongzi made by residents of Shen'ao village, Jiangnan town, Tonglu county, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]