Dragon Boat Festival, also called Duanwu Festival, is traditionally celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month on Chinese lunar calendar. This year, it falls on June 7.
Ancient Origins
There are two different explanations of the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival. Some people believe that the Dragon Boat Festival is in memory of Wu Zixu; some people celebrate this festival for Cao’e. But most people in China deem the Dragon Boat Festival as a day to commemorate Qu Yuan, the great patriotic poet of State Chu in ancient China who jumped into Miluo River because of the demise of his motherland. To honor his spirit, Qu Yuan was conferred a posthumous title as Zhongliegong (Duke Martyr) in Song Dynasty, almost 1000 years after Qu Yuan’s death. Soon after his death, people in State Chu boated to find his body, and dropped rice in the water in the hope that it would distract fish from eating Qu's body.
Customs & Traditions
Dragon Boat Race
As its name suggests, dragon boat race is the most popular activity during the festival, especially in the southern provinces where there are many rivers and lakes. The activity symbolizes the many attempts to rescue and recover Qu Yuan's body. A typical dragon boat is shaped like a dragon, and is brightly painted in red, white, yellow and black,ranging from 20 to 40 meters in length.
Zongzi
Zongzi, pyramid-shaped glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in reed or bamboo leaves, is an essential food of the Dragon Boat Festival. For thousands of years, the Dragon Boat Festival has been marked by eating zongzi. It is said that after Qu Yuan's death, people also threw zongzi into the water to divert possible fish or shrimp from attacking his body. Now the fillings of zongzi are more diversified, including jujube and bean paste, fresh meat, and ham and egg yolk. Generally, people in northern China eat Zongzi stuffed with sugary red-bean paste or dried Chinese red date. While Zongzi in southern China is stuffed with five-spice coated fatty pork, chicken, or salted duck egg.
Realgar wine
Realgar wine or Xionghuang wine is traditionally consumed as part of the Dragon Boat Festival at the height of summer. Ancient Chinese believed realgar was an antidote for all poisons, and therefore most effective to drive away evil spirits and kill insects. So everyone would drink some realgar wine during the Duanwu Festival, and children would have the Chinese character for “King” written on their foreheads with realgar wine.
Calamus and Mugwort
People believe plenty evil things would revive in May. Hence on the Dragon Boat Festival, people in Beijing tend to hang calamus and mugwort on the door or walls of their house to repel evil things. The leaf of calamus resemble the sword in shape, hence, calamus is also known as water sword. People also make accessories by using calamus, and give them to children. Because they consider the water sword is able to kill evil things and keep children safe. Some people use the root of calamus to make wine to pursuit longevity.
Sachet
On Dragon Boat Festival, children would wear fragrant sachets to ward off evils. Sachet are filled with herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine and embroidered with colorful patterns.
