Dragon Boat Festival
Traditional Chinese holiday commemorating Qu Yuan with dragon boat races.
The Dragon Boat Festival, also called Duanwu or Tuen Ng, falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar, which lands in late May or early June on the Gregorian calendar. It honors Qu Yuan, a former prime minister of the southern Chinese state of Chu who lived during the Warring States period (roughly 600 to 200 BC). People celebrate with dragon boat races and by eating sticky rice dumplings known as zongzi—both customs that originated in southern China. The festival also involves praying for good luck and escaping the summer heat. In September 2009, UNESCO added it to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, making it the first Chinese holiday to receive that recognition.
The holiday goes by several names. The People's Republic of China uses "Dragon Boat Festival" as the official English translation, while Hong Kong calls it "Tuen Ng Festival." Some English sources refer to it as the "Double Fifth Festival," a nod to its date on the Chinese calendar. The Chinese name, Duanwu, literally means "starting five"—the first "fifth day" of the month according to the Chinese zodiac. Though the term originally referred to the Earthly Branches, the character for "five" is often pronounced the same way, so the two became linked.
Historically, the fifth month of the lunisolar calendar was seen as unlucky and poisonous, with the fifth day considered especially bad. To ward off misfortune, people would hang calamus, Artemisia, and garlic above their doors, believing their strong smells and shapes (calamus leaves resemble swords) could repel evil. Venomous animals like snakes, centipedes, and scorpions were thought to appear from that day onward, and people believed they got sick more easily after it. To counter this bad luck, some would put pictures of the five venomous creatures (snake, centipede, scorpion, lizard, toad, and sometimes spider) on walls and stick needles into them, or make paper cutouts of the creatures to wrap around children's wrists. These practices grew into larger ceremonies and performances, turning the festival into a day for warding off disease and misfortune.
The most famous story behind the festival involves Qu Yuan (c. 340–278 BC), a poet and minister from the state of Chu during the Warring States period. A member of the Chu royal family, Qu held high office but was banished for opposing an a
- Observed by
- China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan
- Date
- Fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar (late May or early June Gregorian)
- Also known as
- Duanwu Festival, Tuen Ng Festival, Double Fifth Festival
- Origin stories
- Commemorates Qu Yuan, Wu Zixu, or Cao E; also linked to pre-existing traditions
- UNESCO recognition
- 2009, first Chinese holiday on Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
- Public holiday in China
- Reintroduced in 2008
Lore & Background
The Dragon Boat Festival is best known in modern China for commemorating the death of the poet and minister Qu Yuan (c. 340–278 BC) of the ancient state of Chu during the Warring States period. A cadet member of the Chu royal house, Qu served in high offices but was banished for opposing an alliance with the state of Qin and accused of treason. During his exile, he wrote much poetry. When Qin captured the Chu capital, Qu Yuan committed suicide by drowning in the Miluo River. Local people, who admired him, raced out in boats to save him or retrieve his body, said to be the origin of dragon boat races. When his body could not be found, they dropped balls of sticky rice into the river for the fish to eat instead of his body, said to be the origin of zongzi.
Reader's Guide
The Dragon Boat Festival holds deep cultural significance in China and among Chinese communities worldwide. It integrates praying for good luck and taking respite from summer heat, with traditions such as putting calamus, Artemisia, and garlic above doors to ward off evil, and making paper cutouts of five venomous creatures to protect children. The festival's origin stories vary: besides Qu Yuan, it commemorates Wu Zixu, a statesman of the Kingdom of Wu who was forced to commit suicide and his body thrown into the river on the fifth day of the fifth month; and in northeastern Zhejiang, the young girl Cao E, who drowned searching for her father. Modern research suggests these stories may have been superimposed onto pre-existing holiday traditions, possibly encouraged by Confucian scholars. Other theories propose the festival originated from dragon worship or as a celebration of agriculture and rice growing in southern China. In the early 20th century, it was also known as the Festival of Five Poisonous Insects. The People's Republic of China made it a national public holiday in 2008, and UNESCO recognized it as intangible cultural heritage in 2009.
Did You Know?
- The Dragon Boat Festival was the first Chinese holiday to be selected by UNESCO for the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in September 2009.
- The festival is also called the Double Fifth Festival because it occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar.
- In the early 20th century, the festival was known as the Festival of Five Poisonous Insects, and people would search for paralyzed venomous animals at noon on the fifth day for medicinal use.
- The festival may have originated from dragon worship, a theory advanced by Wen Yiduo, supported by the traditions of dragon boat racing and zongzi.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Dragon Boat Festival and what other names does it go by?
It falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which usually lands in late May or early June on the Gregorian calendar. It is also commonly called Duanwu, Tuen Ng, or the Double Fifth Festival.
Who does the Dragon Boat Festival honor?
The most popular origin story links the day to Qu Yuan, a loyal chancellor of the ancient state of Chu who drowned himself in protest during the Warring States era (roughly 600–200 BC). Some regional traditions instead credit figures like Wu Zixu or Cao E, and scholars note that certain customs likely predate any single historical narrative.
What do people actually do to celebrate Dragon Boat Festival?
The two signature activities are competitive dragon boat racing and eating zongzi—sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves. Both traditions originated in southern China, and the day also carries folk practices aimed at warding off the onset of summer heat and inviting good fortune.
Is Dragon Boat Festival an official public holiday?
Yes; China reinstated it as a statutory public holiday in 2008, and it is likewise observed in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. In 2009 UNESCO inscribed it on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, making it the first Chinese holiday to earn that recognition.
Where did the Dragon Boat Festival originate geographically?
The core customs of dragon boat racing and zongzi preparation are rooted in southern Chinese culture before spreading across the country over many centuries. Today the festival is celebrated throughout China, its special administrative regions, and by Chinese diaspora communities around the world.
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