Duanwu Jie / Dragon Boat Festival: History, Culture, and Culinary Treats
(from Kitty Hsu Dana, OCAW Maryland Chapter Vice President)
The Virginia Chapter hosted a Dragon Boat Celebration in the Quincy Room of the Arlington Central Library in Arlington, VA, on Friday, May 23, 2025. It was organized by Maria Yang, OCAW National President and Acting President of the Maryland Chapter, and Barbara York, OCAW Virginia President. Members across the Potomac gathered for a slide show presentation about the origin and significance of the holiday.
Maria presented an informative, enjoyable, and participative slide show about the history and culture surrounding Duanwu Jie. Popularly known as the Dragon Boat Festival, the holiday is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese Lunar calendar – in China and among the Chinese diaspora around the world. Well-known traditions include teams racing long, narrow boats dressed like dragons, and the eating of Zongzi, a sticky rice treat wrapped in bamboo leaves. These practices commemorate the poet Qu Yuan (340-278 BC), who drowned himself as an expression of his patriotism for his country, and the fishermen and people who threw rice wrapped with bamboo leaves into the water so the fish would not eat Qu Yuan’s body. It is also referred to as Chinese Poets’ Day. Maria invited participants to recite one of their favorite poems, enriching the occasion to get to know one another.
(from Pu-Chin Hsueh Waide, OCAW-VA Lifetime Member)
Maria Yang and Barbara York organized a most enjoyable and delicious gathering of some of our Virginia OCAW sisters for the Dragon Boat Festival duān wǔ jie. Maria gave us a very succinct history of Qu Yuan, the reason for the Dragon Boat Festival, and how the eating of the tricornered bamboo-leaf wrapped sticky rice zongzi became a tradition.
Qu Yuan (340-278 BC), a minister in the court of King Huai of Chu. Qu Yuan had dreamt of a State of a just and righteous kingdom; instead he was depressed and concerned by the corruption around him. He was slandered by evil ministers. Even though Qu Yuan loved his King, he was sent into exile. He was witnessing the “falling of this motherland” (Wikipedia) and wrote one of his famous poems, “The Lament.”
“I harnessed the jade dragons to a phoenix chariot,
And soared to the heavens in search of the virtuous.
But the way was long and fraught with peril,
My journey hindered by treacherous winds and clouds.”
So he jumped into the Milou River to end his life. But he was well loved by the common people, who took their boats to try and pull him out of the waters. However, they could not save him. Then they made small nuòmǐ fàn (sticky rice) with tasty morsels and wrapped in bamboo leaves and threw these into the waters so the fish and water-dragon would not eat their beloved minister.
He was the only person in China who is still considered to be “the People’s Poet” (Wikipedia). The Dragon Boat Festival is also “Chinese Poet’s Day.”
This was a combined project with Maryland and Virginia chapters.
Click here to go back to Maryland’s page.
Tour of new Japanese grocery/household goods store
(from Linda Devine)
In Maria’s email invitation to OCAW members, she stated (excerpts): “We are delighted to invite you to a cultural field trip to Marufuji Japanese Market, a new, charming local store that offers a wide array of Japanese groceries, snacks, seasonal items, and household goods. Our goal is simply to enjoy a light-hearted and enriching experience as we explore the flavors, customs, and aesthetic sensibilities of Japanese culture, right here in Tyson’s Corner, VA. This outing is an opportunity to approach another culture with curiosity, understanding, and open hearts. We believe that building bridges through shared experiences can deepen our appreciation of diverse cultures and strengthen community bonds.” Well said, Maria!
Thus, on Thursday, June 19, 2025, a group of OCAW-MD and OCAW-VA members met at 11 a.m. at the new, impressive Japanese market in Vienna, Virginia. Maria had the foresight to realize that with a decent-sized group as ours was, we might be able to arrange for a tour of the store. Store manager Mai Carriker was very gracious and obliged Maria’s request, making Noah, one of her staff members, available as our tour guide. In an organized, systematic fashion, Noah led us aisle by aisle and section by section through the store, explaining the various items that it had to offer, some of which were especially interesting. We appreciated his commentary. For instance, I did not realize that there is white miso and red miso. After leading us through the large quantities of food products, Noah showed us the wide variety of non-food items that the store had for sale. *So* many items throughout! Definitely a shopper’s delight! Once our tour was complete, we adjourned to the food court, where we pulled tables together and ordered entrees from the wide selection. During our tour, Maria had been filling up a shopping cart with lots of items, which I assumed was for future meals she had planned to prepare for her and Bill. However, at the end of our lunch, she spread out all of the packages on the table and insisted that we select an item/items to take home – which served as nice ‘souvenirs’ of our outing. Thank you, Maria!
All in all, it was a most enjoyable gathering with participants saying that they had a lot of fun.
(from Barbara York)
On Wednesday, April 9, 2025, OCAW-VA Chapter members Barbara York, Amy Lee, and Maria Yang met and toured Marufuji Japanese Market, the new Japanese grocery/household goods store at Tysons 3 Center in Vienna, VA. We explored the store and had lunch in their very nice food court.
Marufuji is the first new Asian branded grocery store to open in the DMV (District/Maryland/Virginia) area in the last decade. It contains many interesting items from groceries to household goods to cosmetics. There are some amazingly high-end, expensive items – but a lot of other wares as well. It has received great reviews for the products it carries – but poor reviews for the crowding and subsequent depleted shelves. However, at the time of day we went, we avoided the crowds, and the shelves were well stocked, much to our pleasure. It was a very interesting and enjoyable outing!
Lunar New Year Potluck Lunch
The OCAW-VA Chapter enjoyed our 2025 Lunar New Year Potluck Lunch on Saturday, February 1, 2025. It was held once again in the Penthouse Party Room on the 23rd floor of Amy Lee’s condo building in Alexandria, Virginia. Members, family members, and friends totaled 21 attendees.
There was a huge spread of amazingly delicious dishes that included all the “good luck” food: shrimp, steamed fish, braised pork hock, grilled pork skewers, ham, spareribs, sweet and sour meatballs, duck, lohan jai, spring rolls, fried dumplings, roasted vegetables, a fruit platter, and red bean cake. There was even a Chinese-Indian ginger chicken curry.
The Virginia Chapter wishes all OCAW members and their families a Happy, Healthy, and Successful Year of the Snake!
Several members of the OCAW-VA Chapter attended the 1882 Foundation’s annual Year-End Dinner on Saturday, December 17, 2024, at the venerable Chinatown Garden restaurant in Washington, D.C. https://1882foundation.org/event-recaps/2024-end-of-year-dinner-recap/
Executive Director Ted Gong introduced a special guest and a significant announcement. The guest was Lisa Davidson from the National Historic Landmarks Program of the U.S. National Park Service. And the announcement was that the Summit Tunnel in California is now an Official Historic Landmark. The Summit Tunnel was the first railroad line to traverse the Sierra Nevada Range. It was built primarily by Chinese workers and was hand drilled and blasted over 15 months. It is a feat of engineering and brutal hard work.
For more information, here are some links:
https://1882foundation.org/programs/historic-preservation/summit-tunnel/
https://noehill.com/nevada_county_california/poi_great_summit_tunnel_marker.asp
https://www.uprrmuseum.org/uprrm/exhibits/curators-corner/summit-tunnel/index.htm
That the dinner was held on December 17 is significant because the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act took place on December 17, 1943, when the Magnuson Act was passed and allowed Chinese immigrants to become naturalized U.S. citizens.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the 1882 Foundation, it is the singular organization that keeps alive the fraught history of Chinese in America. Here is a link to their website:
https://1882foundation.org/about-the-foundation/
Tour of a special National Museum of Asian Art exhibit
On Saturday, November 2, 2024, Walter Woo, a friend of OCAW-VA member Amy Lee, led a tour of a temporary exhibit entitled, “An Epic of Kings: The Great Mongol Shahnama” at the National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, D.C. Walter is a docent at the museum. Amy and Christina Chang participated in the tour, which was very enlightening. Our thanks to Walter for his efforts!
If you are interested in seeing this exhibit, it will be on display until January 12, 2025.
Old Dominion Chrysanthemum Society Exhibit, Dance Recital, and Lunch
On Sunday, October 27, 2024, a group of OCAW-VA members and friends met at the beautiful display of chrysanthemums organized by the Old Dominion Chrysanthemum Society which is chaired by Camilla Ng. Camilla is a former OCAW Maryland Chapter President and former Virginia Chapter Acting President. The event was held at the James Lee Community Center in Falls Church, Virginia. The flower display was breathtaking. Camilla’s dance troupe performed the Chrysanthemum Dance, and it was absolutely lovely. Afterward, a few members and friends went for an excellent dim sum lunch at Vinh Kee restaurant in Falls Church, Virginia. A good time was had by all.
Intermediate Chinese Classes
Maria Yang who voluntarily teaches Intermediate Chinese in a Zoom class invited the students to join OCAW as lifetime members and thereby enroll in her class for no tuition. Four students accepted her offer, and the Virginia Chapter welcomed new lifetime members.
Maria has graciously offered this opportunity to anyone who would like to join her class. If you are a lifetime member and would like to study (and/or refresh your) reading and speaking Intermediate Chinese, please contact Maria at: yangyutan@icloud.com. Your requirement would be to join OCAW as lifetime member and access to a device like phone, tablet or computer. You do not have to be a Virginia resident, but be aware of the time difference.
Mid-Autumn Festival Potluck
The Virginia Chapter Mid-Autumn Potluck Party was held on Sunday, September 15, 2024, and the venue was the 23rd floor Penthouse Party Room in Alexandria, Virginia.
Among OCAW members and their families and friends, we had 18 in attendance. The food was wonderful, and was only outdone by a magnificent full moon.
It was a very successful event, and everyone had an enjoyable time.
Lunch to host Lily Tan, former President of the OCAW Silicon Valley Chapter
(from Barbara York, President)
A group of Virginia Chapter members hosted a lunch for Lily Tan on Monday, July 1, 2024 at the Lotus Garden restaurant in Vienna, Virginia. She was in town to receive the 2024 United Chinese Americans’ Iris Shun-Ru Chang Award for Humanity for a book she had authored, entitled Fire Scar: The Untold Story of the 1887 Burning of San Jose’s Chinatown. Several members attended, shared about her book which she gifted to us, and caught up on news.
Fire Scar, about the burning of San Jose Chinatown in the 1880s. The book, written under her penname Lily K. Lee, is the winner of the Iris Shun-Ru Chang Award for Humanity from United Chinese Americans (ucausa.org).
“Fire Scar is a piece of historical fiction that brings out the experiences of Chinese Americans more vividly than any history book. It introduces me to the characters who lived in San Jose Chinatown in the late 19th century. Each character is lifelike and easy to identify with. I can get under their skins, feel their joys, and suffer with them the persecution they faced.
The book also shows the dynamics between the Chinese community and the white population of the then frontier town. The Chinese had moved to the area because their labor was needed. But when they started to succeed and thrive, others found them to be a threat and used violence to drive them out. It’s important to remember history, not to shame or seek retribution, but to understand the forces that fuel hatred and prevent them from taking over the better angels of our nature.”
Chinese New Year Potluck Lunch
(from Barbara York)
The OCAW Virginia Chapter Chinese New Year Potluck Lunch was a great success. It was held on Sunday, February 18, 2024, in Amy Lee’s condo’s penthouse party room in Alexandria, VA. Between chapter members and their guests, there were 21 total attendees.
The food of course was FABULOUS and included: a huge charcuterie platter; Donna’s homemade char siu; Christina’s most delicious meatballs on cabbage; Frank’s very healthy snow pea shoots and sauteed Gailan; Florence’s amazing sliced beef shank as well as a pickled cabbage salad; Amy’s worthy-of-being-on-a-magazine-cover nut-crusted baked salmon; Jane’s melt-in-your-mouth red cooked pork belly with steamed lotus buns; Cathy’s delicious sticky rice studded with sausage, mushrooms, and other yummy bits; Alice’s hugely popular, every-bit-eaten 10-vegetable medley with vermicelli noodles; Maria’s can’t-believe-you-made-it 8-treasure stuffed duck; Barbara’s vegetarian chow mein; Pu-Chin’s famous Apple Cobbler; and Noreen’s Mochi Balls. Assorted chocolates and cookies also showed up.
Chinese New Year Celebration
(from Cathy Roberts, National Vice President for Membership and OCAW-VA Treasurer) Lunar New Year is the most important and celebrated holiday of the Chinese traditional calendar. Every year the Hai Hua Community Center hosts a celebration at the Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax, Virginia. This year the event was held on the weekend of February 17-18.
The two-day celebration included many activities: arts and crafts; musical instrument performances; Lion, Dragon, and other cultural dance performances; and martial arts presentations. The famous lion dances and dragon dances are believed to ward off evil spirits by the accompanying loud drumbeats and cymbals, along with the aggressive dancing of the lion or dragon. Arts and crafts activities included Chinese knotting, paper cutting, lantern making, origami, Chinese calligraphy, and face painting. Multiple Asian cultures were represented, including China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
This year, on Sunday the 18th, Camilla Ng, former OCAW-MD President, performed a graceful Chinese dance.
She performed a traditional Water Sleeves dance to the music “Spring Blossoms on Moonlit Night.” This piece of music is based on a poem by Tang dynasty poet Zhang Ruo Xu (660-720). The dancer’s costume has long sleeves. Long sleeves dance first appeared during the Zhou Dynasty period (1046 to 256 BCE). However, it was during the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644 CE) that long-sleeve garments came to symbolize water and became known as water sleeves. Christina Chang, OCAW-VA member and former National President, also participated as a member of a group in a Chinese dance.
Cathy Roberts herself participated in the event by writing attendees’ names in Chinese characters on bookmarks. All enjoyed the festive occasion.
Field trip to see MGM National Harbor’s Chinese New Year Decorations
(from Amy Lee)
One of the most outstanding sights in our area is the Chinese New Year decorations in the Conservatory of MGM Grand at Washington National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, just south of Washington, D.C. This year the display featured a 70-foot jade water dragon and a bamboo forest, among other sights.
On Monday, February 26, 2024, Amy Lee, Alice and Norman Way, and Christina and Steve Chang had the pleasure of feasting their eyes on the ginormous dragon, lantern, money tree, bamboo forest, and other gold-colored dragons.
After snapping pictures, we had a nice lunch in the food court. The occasion surely was a delightful Chinese New Year highlight for us.
Field trip to see 350 orchids Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery
(from Barbara York)
On Saturday, March 2, 2024, Amy Lee and Cathy and Dick Roberts met to see this magnificent display after Amy kindly brought it to everyone’s attention.
It received rave reviews, and the artist whose work was mingled with the flowers was from Taiwan.
“Anyang: China’s Ancient City of Kings” ExhibitionTour
(from Cathy Roberts) On Monday, March 18, 2024, Virginia and Maryland Chapter members and friends joined together to visit the Sackler Gallery of Art (part of the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art in downtown Washington, D.C.) to see the first major exhibition in the United States dedicated to Anyang, the capital of China’s Shang Dynasty (ca. 1250 BCE–ca. 1050 BCE). We were fortunate to have a very knowledgeable subject matter expert of the Smithsonian, docent Ru Fan, who guided us on this special tour. Ru is a former OCAW Maryland Chapter President. The event was initiated by former OCAW Maryland Chapter President Camilla Ng, also a docent, and arrangements were coordinated by Barbara York, OCAW Virginia Chapter President. The Exhibition features over two hundred remarkable artifacts. We started by viewing a 3D picture of an Oracle Bone, then Ru Fan guided us through each collection – jade ornaments, ceremonial weapons, ritual bronze vessels, bells, and chariot fittings – and explained to us in-depth history and other details. The exhibition includes a series of digital visual presentations, developed in partnership with the award-winning production studio UNIT9. Viewing these videos allows visitors to dive deeper into the life of the city.
2024 Kick-Off Lunch
Lunch at Chef Yan. On Monday, January 15, thirteen members and several husbands enjoyed a wonderful meal of the house specialties, including soup dumplings, steamed fish, Sichuan dry pot, Lions Head meatballs, and some beautiful vegetarian dishes. Chef Yan is the newly renovated China Star. The chef worked at the Mama Chang restaurant before branching out on his own.
Donations to help Tragedy in U.S. Maui
(from Barbara York, President, and Cathy Roberts, Treasurer)
As a result of the wildfires that devastated parts of Maui, Hawaii, in August 2023, OCAW members have risen to the challenge and have raised funds for the island’s rebuilding efforts.
Cathy Roberts, National Vice President for Programs and Virginia Chapter Treasurer, hosted a fundraising tea at her lovely home in Oakton, VA, on Saturday, September 9, 2023. It was very successful, and Cathy announced that it raised $2,150 for the Maui Strong Fund coordinated by the Hawaii Community Foundation.
Cathy sent the contributions to the OCAW Hawaii Chapter to forward to the relief fund, and OCAW Hawaii.
Chapter President Edwina Lee thanked chapter members for their kindness and support.
Barbara wishes to thank those who contributed
so generously to the fund, and to give special thanks to Cathy whose focus and faith in the project were instrumental in raising the donations.
International Women’s Day Lunch Celebrating with OCAW Leaders.
The Orange Ribbon
Used to raise awareness for racial tolerance.
The orange ribbon in our Solidarity Against AAPI Hate logo is used to raise awareness for racial tolerance. The United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and Australia’s Harmony Day also use the ribbon for racial harmony. Maryland and Virginia Chapter members Camilla Ng and Veronica Li attended the National Day of Solidarity Against AAPI Hate rally held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on Monday, May 31,. 2021. Hundreds of people voiced against the widespread hate crimes against Asian Americans, and made demands for justice and inclusion. This was one of 20 such rallies across the country on Memorial Day. This movement is supported by about 50 diverse advocacy and community groups, including the Chinese American Heritage Foundation, Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates), Chinese American Citizens Alliance (CACA), 1882 Foundation, APIAVote, Council of Korean Americans, Arab American Institute, Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), and NAACP.
Yellow Whistle
Yellow whistles with wrist bands were given out at the rally. Sponsored by The Yellow WhistleTM, the “Yellow Whistle is a symbol of self-protection and solidarity in the fight against historical discrimination and anti-Asian violence. It is a simple gadget with a universal purpose – to signal alarm and call for help for all Americans. We shall not remain silent, because we belong.” To obtain your Yellow Whistle, go to the THE YELLOW WHISTLE website. The rally was closed with a powerful soulful protest song, No More by KHA, a Vietnamese-American pop soul singer and songwriter, born and raised in the DC area. The lyrics of this beautiful song capture the history of the contributions of Asian Americans and their struggle against discrimination and injustice. It may become the national anthem for the Asian Americans. Ctrl-Click on the link below for this song. NO MORE – Original by KHA – Bing video All in all, it was a colorful, entertaining, and inspiring rally. The message was loud and clear: We belong and we will be silent no more. About Solidarity Against AAPI Hate (SAAH) SAAH is the brainchild of the Chinese American Heritage Foundation, created in direct response to the Atlanta shootings and the rise of anti-Asian violence brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Its goal is to amplify the AAPI voice, educate, inspire action, and affect change. Ctrl-Click on the link below for more information. Take Action – National Day of Solidarity Against Hate (solidarityagainstaapihate.org) (Photos taken by Camilla Ng) (Editor’s Note: It is Camilla’s personal hope that more Asian Americans will come out to support our communities under attack.)
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