Dragon Boat Festival

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The Dragon Boat Festival，the fifth day of the fifth lunar month，has had a history of more than 2，000 years.It is usually in June in the Gregorian calendar.

There are many legends iaboutthe evolution of the festival，the most popular of which is in commemoration of Qu Yuan .He was a scholar-statesman serving the King of Chu during the Warring States Period.Through the intrigues of his rivals，he lost the king’s favor and was exiled away from the capital.Later he drowned himself in the Miuo River in Hunan Province on the day when the Kingdom of Chu was occupied by the Kingdom of Qin.

Respecting the minister as an upright and honest man，the people who lived in the area jumped into their boats and rushed out in a vain search for him.This unsuccessful rescue attempt is a part of what the Dragon Boat Festival commemorates every year.

On that day，the fishermen sailed their boats up and down the river to look for Qu’s body.

People threw into the water Zong Zi，that is，pyramid-shaped glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in reed or bamboo leaves，along with eggs to divert fish or shrimp from attacking his body.Anold doctor poured a jug of realgar wine into the water，hoping to turn all aquatic beasts drunk. This is why people later followed the customs such as dragon boat racing，eating Zong Zi and drinking realgar wine on this day.

Dragon boat racing is an indispensable part of the festival，held all over the country.As the gun is fired，people will see racers in dragon-shaped canoes pulling their oars harmoniously and hurriedly，accompanied by rapid drums，speeding toward their destination.

Zong Zi is an essential food of the Dragon Boat Festival.It is said that people ate them in the Spring and Autumn Period.In early times，it was only glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in reed or other plant leaves and tied with colored thread，but now the fillings are more diverse，including jujube，bean paste，fresh meat，ham and egg yolk.

On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival，parents also need to dress their children up with a perfume pouch. They first sew little bags with colorful silk cloth，then fill the bags with perfumes or herbal medicines，and finally string them with silk threads.The perfume pouch will be hung around the neck or tied to the front of a garment as an ornament.They are said to be able to ward off evil.