the Dragon Boat Festival is approching

Have you heard about the Dragon Boat Festival…..? Do you know what kind of food we will have in the Dragon Boat Festival? ( Leave your comments please...)

We call it “DuanWu” in Mandarin Chinese.....The dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. There are many different legends about the festival, but the most famous one is about Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet of the State of Chu during the Warring State Period (475-221BC).

Qu Yuan is said to have been loyal and patriotic his whole life. When he realized the decline of Chu was beyond recovery, his remorse knowing he could no longer save it grew strong and strong. On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, he threw himself into the river and died for his beloved homeland. Locals living adjacent to the river rushed into their boats to search for him. They threw rice dumpling and other food into the river to keep fish and turtles from devouring Qu Yuan`s body. Later, to commemorate this patriotic poet, the customs of holding dragon boat races and throwing rice dumpling into the river on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month were passed down. Giving rise to the name Dragon Boat Festival.

In Qu Yuan`s hometown, Zigui country of the Central China`s Hubei province, a grand dragon boat race is held every year during the Dragon Boat Festival. This folk activity has been passed down from generation to generation, dating back more than 2,000 years.

Today, China`s dragon boat racing has developed from local activity into a grand sports event and even became an international sporting event. There are more than 85 countries and regions in the world that hold dragon boat races annually. The Boston Dragon Boat Festival has been held for 40 years and the Toronto international Dragon Boat Festival has witnessed more than 30 years or races. China`s dragon boats have “rowed” to the world.