Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine June 2018

42 Explore | What’s On WORLD FESTIVAL In Singapore, a festive atmosphere rules as participants pull furiously on their oars, leaders beat their drums, flags are waved and spectators cheer on their favourite teams. The Dragon Boat Festival has its roots back in ancient Chinese history. One of the most enduring legends associated with the celebration tells the tale of the great Chinese poet Qu Yuan, who was also a minister of state during the Warring States era. Once a trusted adviser, he was banished by the emperor due to political intrigue and, in despair, reportedly threw himself into the river. The story goes that, as he was well loved by the common folk, fishermen started to beat their oars against the water in a desperate attempt to stop the man-eating fish in the river from devouring his body. Others threw cooked rice wrapped in leaves into the water, in the hope that the fish would eat them instead. Today, many features of the ancient races remain intact, from the long and narrow boat shapes, to the prows painted with dragons’ heads, to the drums that set the pace for the rowers. Visitors who witness the traditional boat racing festival will also see people throwing rice dumplings wrapped in banana leaves or silk into the water, an act to appease the river gods. www.visitsingapore.com Dragon Boat Festival, Singapore, June 18 Di Singapura, nuansa perayaan terasa saat dayung mulai dikayuh dengan semangat, genderang ditabuh bertalu-talu dan bendera-bendera dilambaikan, sementara para penonton riuh menyemangati tim idola mereka. “Dragon Boat Festival” berawal dari sejarah Tiongkok kuno, di mana salah satu legenda berkisah tentang penyair Tiongkok yang terkenal Qu Yuan, yang juga seorang menteri di masa Warring States. Walau sempat menjadi penasihat tepercaya, akibat gesekan politik, Qu Yuan dibuang oleh kaisar. Dalam keadaan putus asa, Qu Yuan akhirnya menerjunkan diri ke sungai. Karena cinta rakyat kepada Qu Yuan, para nelayan pun langsung memukul-mukulkan dayung mereka ke sungai untuk mencegah ikan-ikan memakan jasad sang tokoh. Sementara yang lain melempar nasi yang dibungkus daun ke dalam sungai dengan harapan ikan-ikan pemakan daging akan lebih memilih nasi tersebut. Kini, banyak karakter dari lomba pada masa kuno tetap dipertahankan, mulai dari bentuk perahu yang kurus panjang, hingga haluan bergambar kepala naga serta tabuhan genderang yang menjadi acuan bagi para pendayung. Para wisatawan yang menonton lomba perahu tradisional ini juga dapat menyaksikan orang-orang yang membuang nasi yang dibungkus daun pisang atau sutra ke sungai, guna menenangkan para dewa sungai. MUSIC Melbourne International Jazz Festival Melbourne June 1–10 This annual world-class festival takes place in concert halls, arts venues, jazz clubs and on the streets of Melbourne as the city comes alive with the spirit of jazz. www.melbournejazz.com Festival tahunan berkelas dunia ini diselenggarakan di concert hall, ruang seni, klub jazz dan di jalanan Kota Melbourne sehingga kota terasa begitu hidup dengan aura jazz.

Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine June 2018 | Page 44