Initiative aims to preserve art of preparing traditional delicacy while strengthening community ties ahead of Dragon Boat festival
GEORGE TOWN: More than 25 volunteers came together last Sunday to prepare 1,400 Bak Chang in a community initiative aimed at preserving cultural heritage and strengthening ties among residents ahead of the Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Dumpling Festival.
The programme, organised by Village Community Management Council Taman Lucky with the support of Sungai Puyu state assemblyman Phee Syn Tze, brought together volunteers from the Lucky Park Tua Pek Kong Temple, council members and interested residents to learn the traditional craft of dumpling-making.
Bak Chang, also known as rice dumplings or Zongzi, is a traditional Chinese festive food associated with the festival, which falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar. This year, it is celebrated today.
The festival commemorates Qu Yuan, a poet and minister of the ancient state of Chu who, according to legend, drowned himself in the Miluo River in protest against corruption and the fall of his state. The tradition of eating Bak Chang is said to have originated from villagers who raced out on boats to search for Qu Yuan, throwing rice dumplings into the river to prevent fish from eating his body.
“Traditionally, preparing Bak Chang is a time-consuming process that involves many steps, including preparing the ingredients, wrapping and cooking. Through this community activity, participants can work together, share responsibilities and complete the preparation more efficiently while enjoying social interaction and companionship,” she said.
Phee added that the programme helped reduce the financial burden on families by pooling resources collectively. Sponsors contributed cooking gas, glutinous rice, pork and salted eggs, with total costs amounting to approximately RM4,000.
Leading the dumpling-making effort was 67-year-old Ooi Chooi Chai, who has been making Bak Chang since she was 21 and has been involved in the community programme with Phee for the past three years.
A veteran of a Nyonya chang competition she won about seven or eight years ago, her decades of experience proved invaluable throughout the process.
Preparations began on Saturday, when volunteers spent half a day preparing ingredients. Activities resumed on Sunday at about 7.30am, with volunteers cooking rice, marinating pork filling and preparing chestnuts, mushrooms and salted duck egg yolks before wrapping the dumplings by hand.
Male volunteers also contributed by carrying out physically demanding tasks such as frying the glutinous rice and assisting with heavy lifting and logistics.
At the end of the programme, volunteers took home the dumplings to celebrate the festival with their families.
Phee said such initiatives help ensure traditional customs remain relevant by encouraging active community participation rather than passive observation.
“By bringing people together through traditional activities such as this, we can ensure these customs continue to be appreciated and passed on to future generations,” she added.
