Dragon Boat Festival History and Traditions

dragon boat festival racing competition

The History of Dragon Boat Festival

Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated to commemorate the death of Qu Yuan, a famous Chinese poet, and minister known for his patriotism and contributions to classical poetry, who eventually became a national hero.

He drowned himself in the Miluo River on the 5th day of the 5th Chinese lunar month, when his beloved Chu State fell to the State of Qin. Local people desperately tried to save Qu Yuan or recover his body, to no avail.

Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, which is in late May or June on the Gregorian calendar.

In 2023, Dragon Boat Festival falls on June 22 (Thursday). China will have 3 days of public holiday from Thursday (June 22) to Saturday (June 24).

There is many ways to celebrate this holiday in China. Here is the two typical ways.

1. Eating Sticky Rice Dumplings

Zongzi (粽子zòngzi /dzong-dzuh/) are the most traditional Dragon Boat Festival food. Related to Qu Yuan commemoration, the legend says that lumps of rice (not unlike zongzi) were thrown into the river to stop fish eating his drowned body.

rice dumpling

2. Participating In or Attending Dragon Boat Races

A dragon boat is long and narrow with a decorative Chinese dragon head, tail and scales printed on the hull. During races, teams of paddlers paddle furiously to the beat of a drum, providing spectators with a spectacularly exciting and colorful sight.

It is said that villagers went out in the river with boats and drums to try to rescue his body and threw sticky rice dumplings (zongzi) into the water to prevent fish from eating his corpse, but they were unable to find him.

Xiuzhi Tech is a well-developed supply chain company with both in-house workshops and outsourcing factories. We are ready for supporting your business from the supply and strategy side. Thanks for your attention and await to be your reliable and compete partner soon!

Wish you all have a peaceful holiday!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *