The city of Jiaxing in East China's Zhejiang province has exported the first batch of its famous sticky rice dumplings (zongzi) to Japan, local authorities said on May 30.

About five tonnes of sticky rice dumplings produced in Jiaxing, worth more than $14,000, have been exported to Japan's Yokohama, according to Jiaxing customs.

Data from the Jiaxing customs showed that by May 30, the city had exported 193 tonnes of sticky rice dumplings with a total worth of about $659,000 to countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea.

Sticky rice dumpling, made of glutinous rice with various fillings wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves, is a traditional Chinese specialty for the Dragon Boat Festival.

The festival is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of the year according to the Chinese lunar calendar and will fall on June 7 this year.