Dragon Boat Festival(端午节 (Duānwǔ Jié)) in 🇨🇳 China

The Dragon Boat Festival, known as Duanwu Jie, falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, typically in June. The festival commemorates the death of Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet and minister of the ancient state of Chu who drowned himself in the Miluo River in 278 BCE after his state was conquered. Villagers raced out in boats to save him and threw rice into the water to prevent fish from eating his body, giving rise to the festival's two central traditions.

Dragon boat racing is the spectacular centerpiece of the festival. Long, narrow boats decorated with dragon heads and tails are powered by teams of up to 80 paddlers who row in unison to the beat of a drum. Races take place on rivers, lakes, and harbors across China, with the most famous events held in Yueyang, Hubei, and Guangdong. The sport has gone global, with international dragon boat racing championships attracting teams from dozens of countries.

Zongzi, pyramid-shaped parcels of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves and steamed, are the quintessential Dragon Boat Festival food. Regional variations are enormous: northern Chinese zongzi tend to be sweet, filled with dates or red bean paste, while southern varieties are savory, stuffed with pork, salted egg yolk, chestnuts, and mushrooms. Families spend days preparing zongzi, and the aroma of steaming bamboo-wrapped rice fills neighborhoods.

Traditional protective customs associated with the festival reflect its connection to warding off evil during the height of summer. Sachets filled with fragrant herbs and spices are hung on children's clothing and doorways. Mugwort and calamus leaves are displayed above doorways to repel insects and evil spirits. Some regions practice the custom of balancing eggs on end at noon, believed possible only during the Dragon Boat Festival due to the alignment of the sun.

Traditional Chinese festival on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month commemorating the poet Qu Yuan, celebrated with dragon boat races, zongzi rice dumplings, and realgar wine.