The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu Festival, commemorates the death of Qu Yuan, a famous poet of the Warring States period. The festival is held on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month.
One of the traditional customs of the Dragon Boat Festival is to hold dragon boat races. These races are held in memory of the poet Qu Yuan, who is said to have drowned himself in the river. The dragon boat itself is a long, narrow boat, painted with patterns of dragons.
Another important custom of the Dragon Boat Festival is to eat zongzi, which are sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves. Zongzi are believed to be a food offering to the gods to protect people from evil spirits.
People also hang calamus or mugwort bundles outside their doors to ward off evil spirits. This is known as "driving out the evil" or "expelling the evil".
The Dragon Boat Festival also has a significance in Chinese medicine. Mugwort and calamus are used to make a traditional herbal medicine called "Zongzi tea", which is believed to have medicinal benefits such as improving blood circulation and reducing inflammation.
The Dragon Boat Festival is a time for families to come together and celebrate the rich cultural heritage of China. It is also an occasion to honor the bravery and loyalty of Qu Yuan, a true hero of the Chinese people.
