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The Dragon Boat Festival (端午节 or Duānwǔjié in pīnyīn) is an official public holiday in Mainland China. This traditional holiday, also called the Double Fifth festival, is celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th month of the Chinese lunar calendar (called 农历 or nónglì in Chinese).
The Dragon Boat Festival commemorates the death of Qu Yuan, a Chinese poet and minister during the Zhou Dynasty Warring States period. He was a cadet member of the Chu royal house, but was banished and accused of treason when the king decided to ally with the state of Qin.
When the Chu capital was captured by Qin, Qu Yuan drowned himself in the Milou River. Legend has it that locals tried to race out in boats to save him or retrieve his body, which led to the dragon boat races. They also beat drums and pounded their paddles in the water during the rescue attempt. Each year, they continued the celebration, leading to the sport of dragon boating as well as the annual festival.
And 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.
In the past, every family would make sticky rice dumplings and pass them out as gifts, receive them, and eat them. Today only a few of the more traditional older family members will bother to cook their own, while the majority are purchased from restaurants and bakers.
Zongzi are made of glutinous rice filled with meats, beans, and other fillings. They are wrapped in triangle or rectangle shapes within bamboo or reed leaves and tied with soaked stalks or colorful silky cords. The flavors of zongzi are usually different from one region to another across China. Read more on Zongzi.
