Dragon Boat Festival
端午节
Also known as: Duanwu Jie, Peh Cun, 端午节
Zongzi time! Cheer on dragon boat races and remember Qu Yuan
Upcoming Dates
Lunar date: Month 5, Day 5. The Gregorian date changes each year.
About Dragon Boat Festival
The Dragon Boat Festival commemorates the death of Qu Yuan, a beloved poet and minister of the ancient state of Chu. In 278 BCE, when his homeland was conquered, Qu Yuan threw himself into the Miluo River in despair.
Local villagers raced out in boats to save him, beating drums to scare away fish and throwing rice dumplings into the water so the fish would eat the rice instead of the poet's body. These acts evolved into the dragon boat races and zongzi (rice dumplings) that define the festival today.
Traditions & Customs
Dragon boat races are the highlight — teams paddle colorfully decorated longboats to the rhythm of pounding drums. Families wrap and steam zongzi — sticky rice dumplings filled with meat, beans, or egg yolk, wrapped in bamboo leaves. Some hang mugwort and calamus above doorways to ward off evil spirits and disease. Children may wear fragrant pouches (xiang bao) filled with herbs for protection.
Cultural Significance
The festival honors the patriotic poet Qu Yuan who drowned himself in the Miluo River. Locals raced out in boats to save him and threw rice into the water to keep fish from eating his body — origins of dragon boat racing and zongzi.
Other Chinese Festivals
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