Duanwu Festival
Dragon Boat Festival
Info on the festival
The Duanwu festival was held on the 23rd of June last year and is on the 12th of June this year. If you're wondering why it isn't on the same date, Its because it happens on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. This festival is a Chinese tradition and is one of the big Chinese occasions along with Chinese New year. The festival is dedicated to shooing evil spirits with scary dragons and loud banging drums. Children carry a beautiful fragrant in a sachet like bag. The adults drink a traditional Chinese wine called Hsiung Huang and the dragon boats race through the water with dragons on the heads of their boats hoping to bring peace and rid bad spirits.
The heads on the boats
As I said, dragons are on the heads of the boats in vibrant colours scaring spirits.
Beating drums
Traditional Chinese drums bang while the dragon boats race in the water.
A Full Dragon Boat
This is an exsample of a full dragon boat with people racing in it.
Dragon Boats
Dragon boats are fairly long boats that are painted and crafted to look like dragons. They work a bit like kayaks or canoes. These are used for racing but, truely they are to warn the evil spirits and to shoo them away. Dragon boats have been traditional in China for quite a long time and are particularly remembered on the Duanwu Festival. Other countries are becoming more involved in dragon boats since their existence. At one end there is a flag catcher and a drummer and at the other end their is a steersman and the rest of the jobs fit in between.
More Info on the festival
This event can be called the double fifth, the dragon boat festival and most commonly the Duanwu festival. It is a public holiday in the mainland of China and is celebrated mainly in China, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia. They often eat rice dumplings at the festival because they are traditional to China and are supposed to clear your body of evil spirits and bring calmness. It was told to have originated in Ancient China. It also has a Cantonese name of Tuen Ng Festival.
Dragon Boat Festival (端午節)