Water, boats and a 300‑year tradition: Fujian and Taiwan residents splash each other at sea for Duanwu Festival
Over 150 boats, a 300‑year‑old ritual, thousands of splashes and smiles. The cities of Shishi (Fujian) and Lukang (Taiwan) were connected by a water ceremony — splashing each other at sea, symbolising blessing and purification. This year's Duanwu Festival fell on Friday.
As reported by CCTV+, more than 150 boats took part in a 300‑year‑old folk custom of sea‑splashing in Shishi, Fujian Province, eastern China, to mark the Duanwu Festival, or Dragon Boat Festival, which this year fell on Friday. The ritual, held between the Hanjiang area in Shishi and the Lukang area in Changhua County in Taiwan, has a history of nearly 300 years.
Local residents and Taiwanese compatriots drew their boats closer and splashed each other with seawater, exchanging blessings. Xu Jipeng, a local resident, said: "I come to this event every year, and each year I get a different experience. The atmosphere is great, and it becomes more and more exciting and fun when everyone splashes water on each other on board." Zhuang Yanyu, a Taiwanese compatriot, added: "I look forward to this day every year. Many people take part in this event. And I feel warm coming back here, being close to the locals." A duck‑catching competition was also held at sea, with participants hoping to attract good luck for the whole year.
The tradition of sea‑splashing in Shishi dates back some 300 years. According to local lore, fishermen would bid farewell to boats heading out to sea with this ritual, wishing each other a bountiful catch and well‑being. Later, the ritual became a symbol of unity between coastal communities in mainland China and Taiwan. In this tradition, water is not just water — it is a wish for luck, cleansing and protection. The Duanwu (Dragon Boat) Festival is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month and features dragon boat races, eating zongzi and other customs. Duck catching is a separate contest where participants show agility and skill.
When 150 boats set out to sea and people splash each other, not only distances but boundaries are erased. This ritual has lasted nearly three centuries, and every year it reminds us: traditions are stronger than politics, and water does not divide — it connects. The people of Shishi and Lukang meet on the waves not for arguments, but for smiles. And when a participant from Taiwan says he feels "warm coming back," that warmth is the kind that cannot be measured in degrees. It is in the sea spray, in children's laughter, in the duck catch that brings good luck for the year ahead. As long as the boats ride the waves, the tradition continues — a bridge across centuries and across the strait.
