Dragon Boat Festival

According to the Lunar calendar, the Dragon Boat Festival is always held on the fifth day of the fifth month. Chinese New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival, and the Dragon Boat Festival are the three biggest and most celebrated festivals in China.

Over 2000 years ago, there was a famous Chinese poet named Qu Yuán. The King had lots of trust for Qu Yuán. But, one day the King listened to a bad person talking about Qu Yuán, so he became more and more distant towards Qu Yuán.

Qu Yuán was very hurt, so he decided to write many poem to express his love for his country. After Qu Yuán was done writing his poems, he gave up hope and committed suicide. Many people was told that Qu Yuán had committed suicide by holding on to a heavy stone against himself an jumped into the Milo River. Many people hurried onto their boats to help save Qu Yuán, but they all failed to find him

On the day that Qu Yuán died, it marks the fifth day of the fifth month on the Lunar calendar. This day is known as the Dragon Boat Festival.

While Qu Yuán's body still lies at the bottom of the Milo River, people throw sticky rice into the river to stop the fishes from eating Qu Yuán's body. This particular sticky rice is wrapped around with bamboo leaves. Thousands are thrown into the river each time the festival arrives. Now it is a custon to eat Tzung Tzu and sticky rice.

During the Dragon Boat Festival, there is an activity that many people attend to. It is the Dragon Boat Race. Each boat consists of several people that cooperate together and row the boat. On the boat, there will always be one person that does not row, he drums. The reason for this particular person to drum, it is because the noise is supposed to scare away the fishes and leave Qu Yuán's body alone so that it is not eaten.