The Chinese community in Kenya on Thursday celebrated the upcoming dragon boat festival at the Confucius Institute based at the University of Nairobi, Kenya's oldest university, to help grow Sino-Kenyan ties.

The event is commemorated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month according to the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on June 10 this year, and features the preparation and eating of Zongzi, which is a form of rice dumpling wrapped in plant leaves, as well as watching of dragon boat racing.

Zhang Zhizhong, minister counselor and deputy chief of Mission of the Chinese Embassy in Kenya, said that the festival is one of the major traditional festivals from the Asian nation that can help strengthen the bonds between Kenya and China.

"The dragon boat festival can be used to symbolize the strengthening of the bond between Kenya and China," Zhang said.

Qin Minxue, a representative of the Chinese community in Kenya, said that the celebration of the dragon boat festival helps overseas Chinese to remain in touch with their culture. "It is also a time of significance because it provides space for friends and families to gather together and share a meal," Qin added.

Iris Yu, another representative of the Chinese community in Kenya, said the event provides an opportunity to promote cross-cultural cooperation between Kenya and China, adding that the festival is of cultural significance because it is believed that eating Zongzi helps to bring good luck and ward off evil spirits.

Wang Shangxue, director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi, said that there is a rising popularity of the dragon boat festival in Kenya due to the expanding Sino-Kenyan ties.