Dragon Boat Festival 2025

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8 interesting things about the Dragon Boat Festival

1. There exist a lot of legends about the Dragon Boat Festival, but actually, the customs of the festival stem from a ceremony of Heaven worship, which pre-dates the commemoration of the ancient poet Qu Yuan.

2. The ancient poet, Qu Yuan, and his patriotism are deeply rooted in people’s minds; therefore, his story is related to this festival.

3. In northern China, people like to climb a mountain during the Dragon Boat Festival, which has a longer history than just the Dragon Boat Race.

4. Zongzi is a typical food enjoyed during the Dragon Boat Festival. Every family soaks bamboo leaves and glutinous rice and wraps them to make zongzi. This custom has even spread to North Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia from China.

5. The idea of rowing the dragon boat is derived from the ancient sacrificial activities in the south of China to pray for a kind climate and the best weather.

6. The earliest record of “Dragon Boat” in the Chinese language can be found in an ancient book in the Pre-Qin Period.

7. The Dragon Boat Festival is also celebrated across East Asia. But in Korea it is known as Dano. It caused an uproar in China when South Korea successfully sought UNESCO recognition for Dano celebrations in the coastal town of Gangneung in 2005. Chinese patriots think that the Koreans appropriated the Chinese holiday.

8. In September, 2009, UNESCO added the Dragon Boat Festival to the Intangible Cultural Heritage List, the first Chinese festival to receive the honor.

Origin and History of the Dragon Boat Festival

The fifth day of the fifth lunar month is the Dragon Boat Festival. But it coincides with the flood season and summer months, when hot weather and flooding allow bacteria to multiply rapidly and people often contract illnesses. Due to poor hygiene and limited technology, people couldn't figure out what caused diseases. Fifth lunar month was also a season for the growth of crops, and the climate bringing dreadful weather would destroy the crops. Therefore, fifth lunar month was considered an unfortunate month. The ancestors believed that natural disasters were a symbol of bad luck. In order to pray for heavenly blessings, the ancestors decided to make sacrifices to the gods. They believed that the highest mountains and longest rivers were the closest places to the gods, which would be perfect places to perform sacrifices.

The northern tribes and those near the mountains prayed on the hills, while the southern tribes prayed on the banks of the rivers.

The ancestors believed that they were the descendants of the Chinese dragon(a legendary creature with a serpent body, antlers, and eagle claws),so they drew the dragon on the boats and rowed the boats on the river, hoping that the dragon would appear and protect them from diseases.

Since people were touched by Qu Yuan, a great poet who died for his ideals, people started to combine his story with their customs to commemorate his death and pray for best wishes for the future.

Who was Qu Yuan?

Qu Yuan was a famous poet. He loved his country and wrote passionately. He created "Chu Ci", based on the old songs of the State of Chu in the late Warring States Period (475 - 211 BC). He was of noble birth and engaged in both domestic and foreign affairs. At that time, the State of Qin in the west was bent on annexing the other states, and Qu Yuan asserted that the Chu State should firmly resist Qin, instead of allying with the State of Qi to the east. So he was marginalized by other aristocrats and banished from Chu. Eventually, after Qin conquered the State of Chu, Qu Yuan mourned and committed suicide by drowning himself in Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Legend has it that the Chu people were so affected by his loyalty that they wanted to save his life and rowed boats on the river to save him, but it didn’t work. Then they started to throw glutinous rice dumplings into the river for feeding the fish, in case his body was eaten. It is said that Zongzi developed from the rice dumplings. Since then, this popular story of Qu Yuan is deemed to be the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival.

Traditional Things to do during the Dragon Boat Festival

Due to a lack of resources, the ancient Chinese used Realgar Wine to disinfect their homes, wore scented sachets containing various herbs, showered with water of wormwood, and a lot of other old customs which are still observed today.

Dragon Boat Racing

The Dragon Boat Racing during the Duanwu Festival is the most festive event. Players paddle furiously and chase each other. Audiences bang drums on the bank. What a bustling and lively scene!

Learn more about Dragon Boat - Rowing since Remote Antiquity

Eating Zongzi

In northern China, people like eating sweet zongzi with red bean and dried jujube paste. However, the folks in southern China prefer their zongzi savory and filled with fatty pork and green bean paste. Dig deeper into Dragon Boat Festival Food.

Wearing Scented Sachets

Sachets with nice smells and pretty stitches are special for the festival, showing many beautiful patterns.It is believed that hanging scented sachets with five-color silk is able to scare evil away.

Hanging Wormwood on the Door

Wormwood is an herb with a bitter taste and a particular smell, and hanging it on the door is useful for repelling flies, mosquitoes, and insects.

Spraying Realgar Wine

Realgar wine is an old Chinese drink made by mixing realgar with fermented grains and has a long history.

In the past, people used it to kill germs and sprayed it in room corners to keep them clean. Old people had a custom of using reaglar wine to write "王" on kids' foreheads and put it on their body parts. They thought it could keep kids safe and healthy. There's an old saying that drinking realgar wine keeps away bad spirits and sickness. But now, doctors know realgar wine isn't safe to drink as it has poisonous arsenic.

Get more information about What are the popular beverage choices for the modern celebration of the Dragon Boat Festival?

Regional Customs

Climbing a Mountain for Good Fortune

In northern China, the fifth lunar month was seen as unlucky in the past. To get peace and ask for the protection of deities for the next year, ancient Chinese climbed mountains ritually to offer prayers . During their climb, they collected medicinal herbs such as wormwood and peach branches.

Balancing Eggs

In the southern region of the Yangtze River, balancing eggs is an interesting game for children. It is easier to keep eggs standing up on the day at high noon. People in folk stories think that you will be lucky if you can balance your eggs before noon.

Tying Five-Color Silk

This custom prevails in the north of China, with children tying five-color silk to their hands and feet until the first rainfall during the summer season. People consider that it can protect children from plague and misery.

Dragon Boat Festival around the World

Boston Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival

Beginning in 1979, the Boston Hong Kong Dragon Festival was the first dragon boat festival in the United States. The Dragon Boat Festival helped make dragon boat racing popular in the US. Hundreds of teams race everywhere now and the sport is growing really quickly in the US. There are races from spring to fall, showing it's a big deal. And the 2025 Boston Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival will be held on Sunday, June 8, 2025. Team registration for the festival will open on January 15, 2025 at 12:01 PM EST. For additional information on the festival, please visit the official website at https://www.bostondragonboat.org/

Colorado Dragon Boat Festival

The Colorado Dragon Boat Festival that was held in the Sloan's Lake Park has become a greatly sought-after cultural event in Denver. This festival will last for two days. Centred around dragon boat racing, more than 50 teams will race on Sloane Lake in intricate and colorful dragon boats, starting at 8 a.m. and lasting until dusk，making for a full day of racing. Of course the festival offers much more than just competitions, with a range of cultural activities and attractions for participants. For additional information on this festival, please visit the official website at https://www.cdbf.org/

UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival

The UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival is an esteemed event organized by the Xinhua Chinese Association that has experienced significant growth since its inception in June 2012 at MediaCityUK, Salford, Greater Manchester. As a fast-growing festival, it incorporates a diversity of cultural presentations and shows, amateur team dragon boat racing, and authentic cuisine, making it a unique and memorable experience for all participants and spectators. More about this event, please visit official website at https://www.dragonboatfestival.uk/

Dragon Boat Festival in Schwerin, Germany

The Schwerin Dragon Boat Festival has been a premier event for three years. It brings spectators lovely atmosphere, exciting races, and a range of fantastic activities. All of these just make sure everyone has great fun at this event . The participants and onlookers eagerly converge at Pfaffenteich to witness thrilling races， which showcase the best of the sport, every year. The Schwerin Dragon Boat Festival tries its best to promise an exceptional experience for both players and spectators alike. More details at https://drachenbootfestival.de/

Singapore Dragon Boat Festival

The Singapore Dragon Boat Festival(SDBF) that is held in Singapore is an annual event . It celebrates the tradition of dragon boat racing. It is considered one of the oldest dragon boat races in Singapore and has been held for more than 30 years. More information at https://sdba.org.sg/

Malaysia 2025 Penang International Dragon Boat Regatta

The Penang International Dragon Boat Festival committee（PIDBF) was inaugurated in 1979 and has since grown into an important international event, playing a major role in promoting tourism in Penang. Teams from all over the world participate in this festival, thus ensuring cultural exchange in some way. The Penang International Dragon Boat Race will be held on December 2nd and 3rd, 2025, at the Teluk Bahang Dam.

Jakarta International Dragon Boat Festival

Indonesia is a country of hundreds of islands. Therefore, it has many ways of celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival. Of all the ways, perhaps the most exciting and interesting one is racing the dragon boats. During this festive season in Indonesia, a large number of clubs and teams organize races on dragon boats at many places. Participation from local-level athletes and audiences is high, and it attracts lots of international-level players and tourists too.

Korean Jangyeong Festival - From April 15th to May 7th on the lunar calendar

The Dragon Boat Festival has been celebrated in Korea for 1,500 years. Unlike China's Dragon Boat Festival, the Korean Jangyeong Festival mainly offers sacrifices to local gods and heroes.People will swing on the swings, they believe that the higher they swing, the happier and healthier they will be.

• Dragon Boat Festival Facts, History and Traditions
• Dragon Boat Festival Food
• What is Zongzi?
• Dragon Boat
• Dragon Boat Festival Poems