Millennial Global Youth (MGY) 台頑青少年基金會協同華府FASCA，於5月21日參與睽違兩年的華盛頓國際龍舟競賽文化攤位，藉由香包龍船和燈籠等手作文化DIY展示臺灣端午節文化習俗。本活動由TUSCA-大華府臺美文化協會主辦，除了駐美大使和公使蒞臨本文化攤位之外，更吸引了許多美國官員和世界各國駐美代表共襄盛舉。

今年龍舟隊共有四十隊參加，MGY 在龍舟緊張賽事之餘，提供臺灣傳統文物展覽，以及端午節手作勞作活動，增添不少輕鬆的氣氛。MGY特別提供民眾的DIY勞作，包括給心愛的人健康福氣小禮物之香包傳情、手作紙雕及彩繪龍舟，以及僑委會所提供的虎年吉祥創意小燈籠。

古人於端午節攜帶香包，主要為夏季溫度升高作為袪病防疫的驅蟲工具，FASCA學員並於現場向民眾介紹臺灣「驅五毒」的文化習俗，五毒指的是蛇、蠍、蜈蚣、蟾蜍、壁虎等動物的合稱，農曆五月天氣開始變熱，潮濕的環境也容易滋養各類細菌毒蟲，古人會畫出這五種動物的圖像剪紙之外也會做成餅示意消滅五毒；MGY並特別準備各類型花彩香包，在場民眾可以將自己喜愛愛的乾燥花木如薰衣草、雪松等放入香包內，感受仿古悠情。

現場也展示利用美國較易取得的茶樹、側柏、羅勒、檸檬草、尤加利製作之精油擴香瓶，展現現代版的避五毒毒藥草運用；龍舟紙雕則讓年紀小的小朋友不落人後，在岸邊做起屬於自己的龍舟，並且畫上自己喜歡的顏色，許多家長和孩童在共同製作龍舟的過程中玩得不亦樂乎。而僑委會今年製作的虎年燈籠，也是受到民眾非常歡迎的項目，今年的虎年特別設計大虎帶小虎，精緻之程度更甚以往，也為民眾們在虎年帶來好彩頭。

除了手作的部分，MGY/Taiwan Fun 並特別請紐約臺裔藝術家特別設計創意龍船，以端午節相關文物為意象，例如立蛋、筊、臺灣黑熊、臺灣鼎泰豐小籠包等為元素；僑青們更趣味展示「藍白拖」立牌，展現臺灣平民拖鞋的舒適性，以及未來做為划船選手競賽拖鞋紀念品。大華府文化大使首席代表Lee Hou表示，期待以僑青的熱情在文化外交活動增加臺灣國際能見度。

• 僑務電子報報導  (2022-05-25)

Millennial Global Youth (MGY) collaborated with FASCA DC to participate in the Washington DC International Dragon Boat Festival on May 21, marking the event's return after a two-year hiatus. Through hands-on cultural DIY activities such as sachet-making, paper dragon boats, and lanterns, the groups showcased Taiwan’s Dragon Boat Festival traditions. Hosted by the Taiwanese American Cultural Association (TACA) of Greater Washington DC, the cultural booths welcomed the Representative and Deputy Representative of Taiwan to the U.S., along with numerous American officials and international diplomats.

Forty teams competed in this year’s dragon boat races. Amidst the intense competition, MGY offered a traditional Taiwanese artifact exhibition and craft activities, adding a festive and relaxed atmosphere. MGY’s DIY offerings included "Sachet Messages" as healthy blessings for loved ones, paper dragon boat carving and painting, and the Year of the Tiger creative lanterns provided by the Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC).

Historically, people wore sachets during the Dragon Boat Festival to repel insects and prevent disease as summer temperatures rose. FASCA members introduced visitors to the Taiwanese custom of "Expelling the Five Venomous Creatures"—the snake, scorpion, centipede, toad, and lizard. As the lunar May brings heat and humidity conducive to bacteria and pests, ancient traditions involved using paper cuts or even "five-venom cakes" to symbolize their elimination. MGY prepared various colorful sachets, allowing visitors to fill them with dried herbs like lavender and cedar to experience this ancient custom.

The booth also featured modern versions of "pest-repelling herbs" using essential oil diffusers made from tea tree, arborvitae, basil, lemongrass, and eucalyptus—plants readily available in the U.S. Younger children enjoyed making and coloring their own paper-sculpted dragon boats by the riverside, a popular activity for parents and kids alike. Additionally, the OCAC’s Year of the Tiger lanterns, featuring an intricate "parent and cub" design, were highly sought after by the public as symbols of good fortune.

Beyond the crafts, MGY/Taiwan Fun collaborated with a Taiwanese-American artist from New York to design a creative dragon boat display. The design incorporated elements like "egg balancing," Jiao-bei (moon blocks), the Formosan black bear, and Din Tai Fung soup dumplings. Youth ambassadors also playfully displayed "Blue-and-White Slippers" (Lan-Bai-Tuo) to showcase Taiwan’s iconic casual footwear, suggesting them as future souvenirs for rowers. Lee Hou, a lead representative of the Cultural Ambassadors, expressed hope that the passion of these young overseas Taiwanese would continue to bolster Taiwan's international visibility through cultural diplomacy.

• OCAC News (2022-05-25)