The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar, which is usually in May or June. The origin of the festival is linked to many legends, but the most well-known story is about a patriotic poet called Qu Yuan.

Over 2,000 years ago, Qu Yuan was a minister in the State of Chu during the Warring States Period*. He was committed to serving his country, and did not join forces with corrupt officials. He urged the King of Chu not to ally with the State of Qin, but the king did not listen to him. On the other hand, those corrupt officials spread rumours about him. After the King of Chu was seized by Qin troops, Qu Yuan assisted the king’s son, King Qing Xiang, to rule the country. However, King Qing Xiang did not listen to his advice. He was banished from the capital. During that time, he wrote a lot of poems to express his sorrows and concern for his homeland. Later, the State of Qin invaded the State of Chu, and the capital of the State of Chu was captured. When the news reached Qu Yuan, he was heartbroken as he was unable to do anything to save his country. He decided to end his life and drowned himself in the river.

Qu Yuan's love for his country moved the local people. They raced their boats down the river to search for his body. They also played drums, splashed the water with their paddles, and threw packets of rice into the river to keep the fish from eating his body. To commemorate the death of the patriot, Chinese people around the world kept the traditions of dragon boating and eating rice dumplings every year on the day he died.

In Hong Kong, dragon boating is both a century-old religious activity and a modern sport. Every year, fishermen from the village of Tai O organise the dragon boat water parade. They row their dragon boats to four temples in Tai O and carry the statues of four gods to their boats. Then they parade the statues to pray for peace and good health, and return the statues to the temples afterwards. Dragon boating has also been an exciting sports event since 1976. On the day of the festival, paddling teams gather at Stanley Bay to compete in dragon boat competitions.

Another popular activity is eating rice dumplings. These dumplings are made of sticky rice stuffed with mouthwatering fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves. They can be savoury or sweet. Traditional dumplings are savoury, filled with mung beans, salted egg yolk and pork belly. The sweet dumplings have fillings such as red bean paste.

Although dragon boating and eating rice dumplings are always at the centre of the festival, there are other customs too. Some families hang the picture of Zhong Kui (a famous exorcist) and different herbs in their houses to drive away evil spirits, pests and diseases. For the same reason, children wear scented sachets and tie five-colour strings around their wrists, ankles and necks. Some children also play the egg balancing game at noon to get good luck.

Nowadays, the Dragon Boat Festival has become an important occasion to gather with family and enjoy traditional dishes. It is also a time to remember Qu Yuan’s story, and learn from his commitment and love towards the country.

*The Warring States Period refers to a period of time (475BC - 221BC) in ancient Chinese history characterised by warfare.