Background

The traditional Dragon Boat Festival of China was on June 25 this year. Dragon boat race, eating zongzi and hanging out five-coloured thread are age-long activities to celebrate the holiday. Studies indicate that the Dragon Boat Festival originated in primitive people's worships of tribal totems. Legend has it that the holiday was initiated in memory of Qu Yuan, a stateman and patriolic poet of the Kingdom of Chu during the Warring States period. Qu Yuan was exiled by the king because of slandering by evil officiais. He drowned himself in the Miluo River on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month to express his devotion to his country. Deeply grieved, the local people threw many zongzi dumplings into the river so that the fish would not eat him and they tried to save him racing to his throwing spot by boat. Making Zongzi and dragon boat race have since become major activities to mark the festival.

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