Dragon Boat Festival: A Celebratory Tradition

Origins and History

The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Tuen Ng Festival in Cantonese, has its roots in ancient Chinese culture. Legend has it that the festival commemorates the life and death of Qu Yuan, a loyal poet and official who drowned himself in the Miluo River in 278 BC.

Festival Celebrations

Today, the Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated annually on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. It features various traditions, including:

• Dragon boat races: Teams of paddlers race in elaborately decorated boats shaped like dragons.
• Rice dumplings: Glutinous rice dumplings are filled with sweet or savory ingredients and wrapped in bamboo leaves.
• Zongzi: These are sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves and filled with various ingredients such as meat, vegetables, and beans.

The festival is a time for families and communities to come together, honor Chinese culture, and appreciate the beauty of nature.