Dragon Boat Festival

Dragon Boat Festival

May-June; fifth day of fifth lunar month

Chu'ü Yüan (343-289 b.c.e.) was a Chinese poet and statesman of the Ch'u kingdom who drowned himself in the Mi Lo River to protest political corruption and injustice. The colorful dragon boat races that take place on lakes and rivers throughout China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan on this day are a reenactment of the search for his body, which was never found. Although the shape of the boats has changed over time, most are narrow shells about 30-feet long with a dragon's head at the prow.
It is said that rice dumplings were cast on the water to lure fish away from the martyr's body. Chinese people in the United States and other countries celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, which occurs on Tuan Wu, or Double Fifth Day, by eating special dumplings made of steamed rice wrapped in bamboo leaves called tsung tzu or zong ze . This is also a traditional time for performing customs intended to drive away evil spirits and illness.

CONTACTS:
Hong Kong Tourism Board
115 E. 54th St. 2/F
New York, NY 10022
212-421-3382; fax: 212-421-8428
www.discoverhongkong.com
Taiwan Government Information Office
4201 Wisconsin Ave. N.W.
Washington, DC 20016
202-895-1850; fax: 202-362-6144
www.gio.gov.tw

SOURCES:
BkFest-1937, p. 79
BkHolWrld-1986, Jun 18
DictFolkMyth-1984, p. 1130
EncyRel-1987, vol. 3, p. 326
FolkAmerHol-1999, p. 221
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 369
GdWrldFest-1985, p. 106
IntlThFolk-1979, p. 197

Celebration days: Jun 5, 2011; May 24, 2012; May 13, 2013; Jun 1, 2014; May 22, 2015