[Explanation] In Chongqing, in addition to making rice dumplings and rowing dragon boats, there is also a custom of snatching ducks during the Dragon Boat Festival.

On June 12, the Dragon Boat Festival folk custom duck snatching competition, which has been circulating for nearly a thousand years, was staged in the Yangtze River. Contestants competed in the river for live ducks to win the Dragon Boat Festival.

  At 9 o'clock in the morning, nearly 200 contestants gathered at the Military Port Terminal on Nanbin Road, Chongqing.

The staff put 50 ducks on the shore in 5 batches on rubber dinghies, and then transported them to the Yangtze River for delivery.

Duck grabbing competitions are regardless of age, regardless of gender, as long as the water is good enough, you can enter the water for a showdown.

  With the whistle of the referee, the players jumped into the river and swam quickly to where the ducks were.

They demonstrated their swimming skills, aimed at the target, and attacked quickly.

Some ducks were frightened and swam to the other side quickly.

Even so, the players didn't let it go, and they surrounded the ducks in the end.

Some ducks will dive. Once the player gets close, the duck will dive into the water. After a few seconds, it will be exposed in the water several meters away, so it is difficult for the player to catch it.

  [Concurrent] Contestant Xu Wei

  To celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, grab a duck, fortunately to grab a duck.

It's not easy to grab the ducks in the Yangtze River. The water is so turbulent. When you get close, the ducks will dive.

  [Explanation] It is understood that the custom of snatching ducks during the Dragon Boat Festival originated in the Northern Song Dynasty.

According to legend, when Su Dongpo was studying in the Northern Song Dynasty, he fell in love with Wang Fu, who was on the other side of the Minjiang River. In order not to affect his studies, the two decided to hold the wedding at Wang's house.

On the day of the wedding, the Wang family organized a fleet to welcome Su Dongpo across the river to marry.

According to custom, the Wang family placed meat, chickens, ducks and geese on the boat, praying for safety.

When the ship returned, it walked to the heart of the river, where several ducks broke into the river and fled into the river.

The rowing sailors jumped down to catch the escaped ducks.

Seeing this scene, Su Dongpo was very excited, and blurted out on the spot, "Fun and fun, people and ducks are competing, stirring up a thousand piles of jade."

Since then, in order to commemorate the marriage of Su Dongpo and Wang Fu, the locals held a "duck grabbing" activity on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival. Later, this custom became popular everywhere.

  In recent years, as everyone pays attention to traditional culture, the Dragon Boat Festival, which was previously held only in the countryside, has also begun to rise in the city. People have participated in folk activities to inherit and promote the excellent Chinese traditional culture.

  [Concurrent] Contestant Li Qiang

  When we were young, we were in the countryside. We had to eat rice dumplings and grab ducks during the Dragon Boat Festival. It was very lively.

Later in the city, it seemed that the atmosphere of the Dragon Boat Festival was going to be weaker.

In big cities, there are very few duck grabs (competitions). This event at the military port has inherited the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival culture.

  Reporting from Chongqing by reporter Xiao Jiangchuan

Editor in charge: [Wang Kai]