The Dragon Boat Festival 2023

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The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu Festival, occurs on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. There are many different legends about the festival, but the most famous one is about Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet of the State of Chu during the Warring States Period(475-221BC).

Qu Yuan is said to have been loyal and patriotic his whole life. When he realized the decline of Chu was beyond recovery, his remorse knowing he could no longer save it grew stronger and stronger. On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month,, he throw himself into the river and died for his beloved homeland. Locals living adjacent to the river rushed into their boats to search for him. They throw jiaoshu(rice dumplings) and other food into the river to keep fish and turtles from devouring Qu Yuan’s body. Later, to commemorate this patriotic poet, the customs of holding dragon boat races and throwing jiaoshu into the river on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month were passed down,giving rise to the name, Dragon Boat Festival.

In September 2009, the Dragon Boat Festival became China’s first festival to be selected for the world;s intangible cultural heritage. Most Chinese festival are related to specific foods and the Dragon Boat Festival is no exception. The Zongzi is an indispensable food for the Dragon Boat Festival.

In order to celebrate the coming Dragon Boat Festival, Shandong Dongteng Machinery Co., Ltd. distributed rice dumplings to employees, implying happiness and blessing in Dragon Boat Festival.