Shangri-La Bangkok Celebrates Dragon Boat Festival

In the hushed calm of Shang Palace, the Dragon Boat Festival arrives not with pomp, but with poise. A chef in starched whites folds sticky rice with a quiet reverence, his hands moving instinctively – learned, not taught. There’s no flamboyance here, just the quiet ritual of something passed down. Rice dumplings, filled with abalone or crab, pork and salted egg or the understated charm of something sweet, are wrapped with leaves and a kind of pride only tradition affords. They arrive in boxes designed less for show than for significance – a gift, yes, but also a gesture. In conversation, the kitchen team speaks less of flavour and more of memory. These are parcels of care, handed from generation to generation, stitched with history and served warm. Not a trend, but a return. May 28-Jun 8. B668-3,188. Shangri-La Bangkok.