Mayor Chu wraps Zhonzi and wishes everyone a happy Dragon Boat Festival
On the eve of Dragon Boat Festival, New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu visited Cihui Temple in Banqiao to wish peace and happiness for everyone. He would like to wish New Taipei citizens a happy Dragon Boat Festival and thank the volunteers for their hard work in making delicious zhonzi, also known as rice dumplings, for low-income families.
Several legislators and councilors accompanied Mayor Chu visiting Cihui Temple. They wanted to thank Heaven for sheltering New Taipei City from Typhoon Talim, which could have been disastrous.
In addition to paying gratitude toward the deity, Mayor Chu also came for another important mission, that is, to make zhonzi with the volunteers. In fact, the 330 volunteers recruited by Banqiao District Office needed to make ten thousand free, delicious zhonzi so that all low-income families could enjoy them on the day of Dragon Boat Festival. 2856 low-income households would benefit.
At the zhonzi-making site, volunteers were busy washing bamboo leaves, filling ingredients, wrapping and tying zhonzi, and finally distribute them to families in need.
Surprisingly, Mayor Chu was quite skilled at wrapping zhonzi, earning a wide acknowledgement from his fellow volunteers. “I was trained by grandma to wrap zhonzi when I was a child, so it really isn’t that hard for me”, explained Chu. He also said he preferred the southern-style zhonzi for its soft taste.
In concern for citizens’ healthy diet, the ingredients for these free zhonzi include shiitake mushrooms, peanuts, and vegetarian meat. Before his departure, Mayor Chu again thanked the volunteers for their participation and wished all New Taipei citizens a wonderful Dragon Boat Festival.