Dragon Boat Festival

People celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival.

They race long boats. They also eat rice dumplings called zongzi.

These treats are wrapped in leaves. People make them with meat or sweet beans. One story says people raced boats to save a man. They threw rice in the water to feed the fish. This helps keep the man safe. It is a special day for families.

Do you like sticky rice?

The Dragon Boat Festival is a special Chinese holiday.

It happens on the fifth day of the fifth month. This is usually in late May or early June. People celebrate with dragon boat races. They also eat sticky rice dumplings called zongzi.

One famous story is about a man named Qu Yuan. He was a poet and a leader. He died in the Miluo River. People raced boats to find him. They threw rice into the water. They did this so fish would not eat his body. This is why people eat zongzi today.

People make zongzi by wrapping rice in leaves. These leaves can be bamboo or reed. The leaves give the rice a nice smell. In the north, zongzi are often sweet. They might have beans or nuts inside. In the south, they are often savory. They might have meat or eggs inside.

This festival is very important. UNESCO calls it a piece of human heritage.

It is a time for family and good luck.

The Dragon Boat Festival is a vibrant Chinese holiday.

It is also called the Tuen Ng Festival in Hong Kong and Macau. This holiday happens on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar. This usually falls in late May or early June. People celebrate by racing dragon boats and eating special rice dumplings.

The festival is a time for praying for good luck. It is also a way to rest from the summer heat. In 2009, UNESCO named it a piece of human heritage. This made it the first Chinese holiday to receive that honor.

Many traditions help people stay safe during this time. The fifth month was once seen as a lucky or poisonous time. People believed snakes, scorpions, and centipedes appeared more often then. To ward off bad luck, people put garlic or plants on their doors. These plants have strong smells or shapes like swords. Some people even put pictures of venomous creatures on their walls. They might stick needles into these pictures to keep them away. Children sometimes wear paper cutouts of these creatures on their wrists. These steps help everyone feel safe from disease and bad luck.

A famous story tells of a man named Qu Yuan.

He lived during the Warring States period around 600 B.C. to 200 B.C. Qu Yuan was a beloved prime minister in the state of Chu. He was also a great poet who wrote much while in exile. When the capital city fell, he died in the Miluo River. Local people raced boats to find him or his body. They threw rice into the water so fish would eat it instead. This act is said to be why people eat zongzi today.

Making zongzi is a special way to celebrate with family.

These are sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves. The leaves give the rice a wonderful aroma and flavor. The fillings change depending on where you live in China. In the north, people often make sweet versions with beans or nuts. In the south, zongzi are often savory with meat or eggs. These dumplings were once used to honor ancestors and gods. During the Jin dynasty, they became the official food for this festival.

Other stories also connect to this special day. In some places, people remember a man named Wu Zixu. In Northeastern Zhejiang, people celebrate a girl named Cao E.

She searched the river for three days to find her father. A temple was built in her honor in the year 151. Some researchers think the festival might also be about dragon worship. They suggest the boat races show respect for the dragon. Others think it celebrates the harvest of winter wheat. These different stories all come together in one big celebration.

The Dragon Boat Festival is a major traditional Chinese holiday. It is also known as the Tuen Ng Festival in Hong Kong and Macau. The festival occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar. This date usually falls in late May or early June on the Gregorian calendar. People celebrate this day through dragon boat races and eating special rice dumplings.

The holiday is a time for praying for good luck. It also offers a way to take respite from the summer heat.

One common name for the holiday is the Double Fifth Festival. This name refers to the specific day on the Chinese calendar. In Chinese, the name Duanwu literally means "starting five." This refers to the first fifth day of the month according to the zodiac. The festival is a way to get rid of disease and bad luck. In the past, the fifth month was considered an unlucky and poisonous time. People believed venomous animals like snakes, scorpions, and centipedes appeared during this period.

To avoid misfortune, people used various traditional methods. They would place garlic, calamus, or Artemisia above their doors. These plants have strong smells or shapes, like sword-shaped calamus leaves, to ward off evil. Some people even put pictures of five venomous creatures on their walls. They might stick needles into these pictures to keep the creatures away. Children sometimes wear paper cutouts of these animals around their wrists. These rituals help people feel safe from the perceived dangers of the season.

The most famous story involves the poet and minister Qu Yuan.

He lived during the Warring States period, roughly between 600 B.C. and 200 B.C. Qu Yuan served in high offices for the southern Chinese state of Chu. After being banished, he wrote much poetry during his exile. When the capital of Chu fell to the state of Qin, Qu Yuan drowned himself in the Miluo River. Legend says local people raced boats to find him. They also dropped balls of sticky rice into the river. This was intended to feed the fish so they would not eat his body.

Another legend commemorates the statesman Wu Zixu. He lived during the time of the Kingdom of Wu. Some stories say he was forced to commit suicide and thrown into a river. In parts of southeast Jiangsu, he is remembered during the festival. In Northeastern Zhejiang, people celebrate a different figure named Cao E.

Her father, a shaman, accidentally fell into the Shun River during a ceremony. Cao E searched for him for three days. Both were eventually found dead in the river. A temple was built in her honor in the year 151, and the river was renamed the Cao'e River.

A central part of the festival is eating zongzi. These are sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves. The leaves provide a special aroma and flavor to the rice. Fillings vary by region. In northern China, zongzi are often sweet with bean paste, jujube, or nuts. In southern China, they are often savory with meat or eggs.

While they were once used to worship ancestors, they became the official festival food during the Jin dynasty.

Researchers suggest the holiday may have several different origins. One theory is that it began as a celebration of agriculture and rice growing. Another theory, advanced by Wen Yiduo, suggests it comes from dragon worship. The boat races might reflect reverence for the dragon and its active energy. Some also believe it celebrates the harvest of winter wheat. In 2009, UNESCO added the festival to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This made it the first Chinese holiday to receive this global recognition.