Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu)
The Dragon Boat Festival on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month honours Qu Yuan in legend, with boat races, zongzi and herbs hung to ward off illness.
- Lunar date
- 5th day of the 5th month
- Usual dates
- May 28–Jun 24
Date and Origins
Duanwu (端午) falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month; duan means 'beginning' and wu was used interchangeably with 'five'. In old belief the fifth month was an 'evil month', when heat, insects and epidemics arrived, and its fifth day called for special protection. Many Duanwu customs grew out of this effort to fend off illness.
The best-known legend links the festival to Qu Yuan, a loyal minister of the state of Chu in the Warring States period, who is said to have drowned himself in the Miluo River on this day. Villagers rowed out to search for him and threw rice into the water so fish would not eat his body, which tradition says gave rise to boat races and zongzi. Other regional stories honour the general Wu Zixu or the filial daughter Cao E. Scholars generally see Duanwu as an older disease-averting festival that later absorbed these figures.
Customs
- Dragon boat races, often preceded by rites such as dotting the dragon's eyes.
- Hanging mugwort and calamus by the door; the sword-shaped calamus leaf is traditionally thought to repel evil.
- Fragrant sachets of herbs worn by children for protection.
- Five-coloured threads tied around the wrist as wishes for long life.
- Realgar wine, once drunk or painted on children's foreheads; realgar contains arsenic and is no longer considered safe to drink.
- In Taiwan and southern Fujian, collecting 'noon water' believed to keep for a long time, and trying to stand eggs upright at noon.
Festive Foods
Zongzi, glutinous rice wrapped in leaves, vary enormously. Northern Taiwanese zongzi are made with stir-fried rice and steamed, while southern Taiwanese ones are boiled from raw rice for a softer texture; alkaline zongzi are eaten chilled with syrup. Guangdong's large guozheng zongzi contain mung beans, pork fat and salted egg yolk, Jiaxing in Zhejiang is famous for fresh pork zongzi, and northern China prefers sweet ones with jujube or red bean paste. Salted eggs are another seasonal favourite.
Regional Differences
China's Dragon Boat Festival was inscribed on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list in 2009, and places tied to Qu Yuan, such as Miluo in Hunan and Zigui in Hubei, still hold memorial rites and races. Taiwan holds races across the island, including a famous contest between two villages in Yilan. Hong Kong has races in many districts, and Tai O's dragon boat water parade, in which fishermen tow deity statues through the stilt-house channels to drive away plague, is unique. Macau hosts international races on Nam Van Lake. In Singapore and Malaysia, Nyonya zongzi tinted blue with butterfly pea flowers carry a slightly sweet filling.
Korea's Dano involves washing hair in calamus water, swinging and ssireum wrestling; the Gangneung Danoje festival was inscribed by UNESCO in 2005, though it centres on shamanic rites distinct from China's festival. Japan moved the holiday to 5 May after its Meiji calendar reform, and it is now Children's Day, with carp streamers, iris baths and kashiwa mochi. In Vietnam, Tết Đoan Ngọ is the 'insect-killing festival', when people eat fruit and fermented sticky rice.
Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu): dates by year
| Year | Date | Day | Lunar date | Public holiday in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | May 31, 2025 | Sat | Month 5, day 5 | Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Macao |
| 2026 | Jun 19, 2026 | Fri | Month 5, day 5 | Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Macao, United States |
| 2027 | Jun 9, 2027 | Wed | Month 5, day 5 | Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Macao |
| 2028 | May 28, 2028 | Sun | Month 5, day 5 | Taiwan, China, Macao, Hong Kong (next day) |
| 2029 | Jun 16, 2029 | Sat | Month 5, day 5 | Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Macao |
| 2030 | Jun 5, 2030 | Wed | Month 5, day 5 | Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Macao |
| 2031 | Jun 24, 2031 | Tue | Month 5, day 5 | Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Macao |
| 2032 | Jun 12, 2032 | Sat | Month 5, day 5 | Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Macao, Philippines |
| 2033 | Jun 1, 2033 | Wed | Month 5, day 5 | Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Macao |
| 2034 | Jun 20, 2034 | Tue | Month 5, day 5 | Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Macao |
| 2035 | Jun 10, 2035 | Sun | Month 5, day 5 | Taiwan, China, Macao, Hong Kong (next day) |
| 2036 | May 30, 2036 | Fri | Month 5, day 5 | Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Macao |
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