Duan wu jie (端午节, Dragon Boat Festival) is in every year’s May 5 in the Chinese lunar calendar, also named Duan yang jie (端阳节), wu ri jie (午日节), wu yue jie (五月节) and so on. It has already been listed as one of the intangible World Heritage, and is now one of the legalized festivals in China.

The Dragon Boat Festival originates in China, initially serving as a festival to rid off people’s diseases and keep healthy. Before the Spring and Autumn Period, in the areas named Wu and Yue, the dragon boat competition was held to worship the tribes’ totems; later when Qu Yuan, the famous poet and righteous senior official of the Chu Kingdom jumped into the Miluo River and died, the day has since then become a traditional festival to commemorate him; and in some other parts of China, locals may commemorate Wu Zixu, Cao E and others. 

On this day, people in China eat Zongzi (glutinous rice cake), drink millet wine and go dragon-boating.