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.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, which is usually in September or October. It is an important Chinese festival with a history of over 3,000 years. A long time ago, the festival was held to worship the moon and thank it for the year’s harvest. Nowadays, it is a time for family reunions. There are many legends about the Mid-Autumn Festival. The legend of Hou Yi and Chang'e is a popular one.

A long time ago, the earth was surrounded by ten suns. All of them appeared in the sky at the same time. The earth was so hot that people's lives became difficult. Hou Yi was a great archer. He shot arrows at nine suns and left one. After that, the Goddess of Heaven gave him an elixir of immortality so that he could continue to protect the people and the earth.

Hou Yi's wife, Chang'e, helped him keep the elixir. However, one of his students, Pang Meng attempted to steal his elixir. On the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, when Hou Yi was not at home, Pang Meng went to his house. He forced Chang’e to pass the elixir to him but she refused. She drank the elixir at once. Soon, she flew to the moon. Hou Yi was desperate because she would be gone forever. To remember Chang’e, Hou Yi and the villagers worshipped the moon and prepared fruits and cakes for her on that day every year. Since then, family gatherings, eating mooncakes and admiring the moon have become Mid-Autumn customs.

Mooncakes, which symbolise reunion and happiness, are traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Red bean paste, lotus seed paste and salted egg yolks are common fillings in traditional mooncakes with golden pastry. "Snowy mooncakes" are another kind of mooncakes with different flavours and textures. They are filled with special ingredients such as fruit and jam and wrapped in mochi dough. Apart from mooncakes, people also eat seasonal fruits such as starfruits and pomelos, which are believed to bring good luck.

On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, friends and relatives exchange best wishes. In the evening, people have a reunion dinner with family members, during which they have a nice chat. After having a plentiful meal, they usually drink a cup of tea and eat some mooncakes and fruits under the full moon. Then, they go to a park to admire the full moon and take a stroll. Children carry their lanterns of different shapes and colours with laughter. In some parks, appealing lantern displays are held. People can appreciate a range of lanterns, from traditionally handcrafted lanterns to modern ones in various designs. It is lucky that people can fully enjoy the festive evening as the following day is a public holiday.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is an important Chinese festival. People treasure the special occasion on which they exchange best wishes with friends and relatives, have a gathering with family members, enjoy good food and admire the full moon.