Dragon Boat Festival: A Treasured Chinese Heritage Passed Down for Millennia - Company China

Dragon Boat Festival: A Treasured Chinese Heritage Passed Down for Millennia - Company China

assistantJune 2, 2025Travel Introduction

Contents

• Introduction
• The Origin and Historical Evolution of the Dragon Boat Festival
• Traditional Customs and Modern Inheritance of the Dragon Boat Festival
• The Cultural Connotations and Contemporary Values of the Dragon Boat Festival
• Distinctive Celebration Ways of the Dragon Boat Festival in Different Regions
• The Relationship between the Dragon Boat Festival and Qu Yuan’s Culture
• Conclusion

The Dragon Boat Festival, one of the four major traditional festivals in China, shines like a brilliant pearl in the long-standing history of the Chinese nation. It not only carries rich cultural connotations but also embodies people’s yearning and pursuit for a better life. On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month each year, the festive atmosphere pervades both bustling cities and tranquil villages. People celebrate this important festival through various traditional customs such as dragon boat races, eating zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), and hanging mugwort.

There are various theories about the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival, and the most widely-spread one is to commemorate Qu Yuan. Qu Yuan was a great poet and statesman in the State of Chu during the Warring States period. He was whole-heartedly dedicated to serving his country but was framed and ostracized by treacherous officials. Eventually, he drowned himself in the river. To commemorate him, people rowed boats to search for his body on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month every year and threw zongzi into the river to prevent fish and shrimp from nibbling at his body. Over time, these activities evolved into the traditional customs of the Dragon Boat Festival.

The traditional customs of the Dragon Boat Festival are rich and diverse, and each custom contains profound cultural connotations. Dragon boat racing is one of the most representative customs of the Dragon Boat Festival. It originated from ancient sacrificial activities and later evolved into a competitive and entertaining sports event. During the dragon boat race, the contestants work together and strive forward, demonstrating the spirit of unity and cooperation and the perseverance of tenacious struggle.

Eating zongzi is also an indispensable custom of the Dragon Boat Festival. There are various types and flavors of zongzi, including sweet zongzi, salty zongzi, red bean paste zongzi, and meat zongzi. Zongzi in different regions vary in shape, filling, and production methods, but they all represent people’s wishes for a better life. In addition, people also hang mugwort and calamus, wear sachets, and drink realgar wine on this day. These customs are all meant to ward off evil, avoid disasters, and pray for good health.

In modern society, with the accelerating pace of people’s lives and the development of cultural diversity, the traditional customs of the Dragon Boat Festival are constantly being inherited and innovated. Some places hold various forms of Dragon Boat Festival cultural activities, such as dragon boat races, zongzi festivals, and folk custom exhibitions, which attract many tourists and citizens to participate. At the same time, some enterprises combine the Dragon Boat Festival culture with modern business and launch various products and services related to the Dragon Boat Festival, such as zongzi gift boxes and Dragon-Boat-Festival-themed tourism, injecting new vitality into the inheritance and development of the Dragon Boat Festival culture.

The Dragon Boat Festival is not just a traditional festival but also an important carrier of the traditional culture of the Chinese nation. It contains rich cultural connotations, such as patriotism, the spirit of unity and cooperation, and the tradition of respecting the elderly and caring for the young. Qu Yuan’s patriotism and noble character have inspired generations of Chinese people to strive for the prosperity and strength of the country. The spirit of unity and cooperation demonstrated in the dragon boat races also has important practical significance in today’s society.

In contemporary society, the cultural value of the Dragon Boat Festival is more prominent. It helps to enhance national cohesion and cultural identity and promotes social harmony and stability. By holding various Dragon Boat Festival cultural activities, more people can understand and recognize the cultural connotations of the Dragon Boat Festival, inherit and carry forward the excellent traditional culture of the Chinese nation. At the same time, the Dragon Boat Festival also provides an important platform for cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries, enabling the world to better understand China and feel the charm of Chinese culture.

Due to regional cultural differences, the Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated in distinctive ways in different regions. In the southern regions, dragon boat races are particularly popular, and many places hold large-scale dragon boat competitions, attracting numerous spectators. In addition, the zongzi in the southern regions are mainly salty, with a wide variety of fillings such as streaky pork, salted egg yolks, and shrimps.

In the northern regions, in addition to traditional customs like eating zongzi and dragon boat races, there are also some unique celebration ways. For example, in some places, people get up early to collect dew on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival. It is said that washing one’s face with the dew can improve eyesight and maintain beauty. The zongzi in the northern regions are mainly sweet, with fillings such as red dates and red bean paste.

Apart from the north-south differences, the celebration ways of the Dragon Boat Festival also vary among different ethnic groups. For example, among the Miao ethnic group, the Dragon Boat Festival is called the ‘May Festival’, and people hold grand sacrificial activities to pray for good weather and a bumper harvest. Among the Dai ethnic group, a water-splashing festival is held during the Dragon Boat Festival, and people splash water on each other to express their wishes for a better life.

Qu Yuan is one of the important symbols of the Dragon Boat Festival culture. His patriotism and literary achievements have had a profound impact on the formation and development of the Dragon Boat Festival culture. Qu Yuan’s poetic works, such as ‘Li Sao’, ‘Jiu Ge’, and ‘Tian Wen’, not only have extremely high literary value but also express his love for the motherland and concern for the people.

On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, people commemorate Qu Yuan in various ways to express their admiration and nostalgia for him. In addition to traditional customs like dragon boat races and eating zongzi, some places also hold Qu-Yuan-themed cultural festivals and poetry recitation meetings to promote Qu Yuan’s patriotism and cultural heritage.

As an important part of the traditional culture of the Chinese nation, the Dragon Boat Festival carries rich historical memories and cultural connotations. It is not only a traditional festival but also a symbol of the Chinese national spirit. In today’s society, we should pay more attention to the inheritance and development of the Dragon Boat Festival culture, enabling this ancient festival to glow with new vitality in the new era. By holding various Dragon Boat Festival cultural activities, strengthening the publicity and education of the Dragon Boat Festival culture, more people can understand and recognize the cultural value of the Dragon Boat Festival, enhancing national cohesion and cultural identity. At the same time, we should also combine the Dragon Boat Festival culture with modern society, continuously innovating and developing it to better meet the needs of the times and make greater contributions to building a harmonious society.