10 things you might not know about the Dragon Boat Festival

While the Dragon Boat Festival falls on a different date every year on the Gregorian calendar, the holiday actually occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month every year on the Chinese Lunar New Year calendar. Due to numerous legends and the date’s concurrence with the annual flood period and midsummer, a time when insects and bacteria tend to spread quickly, people considered this day to be a time of misfortune and adopted several customs to ward off bad luck and pray for good fortune.

There are many stories about how rice dumplings, aka zongzi, came about, with the most famous one being Qu Yan's death. However, some argue that this widely known legend is not the true origin. It is said that rice dumplings were originally called jiao shu (jiao = horn, shu = grains, polished rice). In the agricultural society of ancient China, rice placed in cattle horns were used as a sacrifice. As time progressed, the horns were replaced by leaves shaped like horns due to economic reasons – thus, rice dumplings were born.

Despite the popular legend of Qu Yuan, communities around China pay tribute to different people during the Dragon Boat Festival. In Guizhou province and South China, the festival commemorates Wu Zixu, a loyal advisor to the king; Yan Hongwo in Yunnan province is celebrated among the Dai community on the same day. 

In Chinese mythology, having control of dragons gives you the power to control rivers and rainfall, which comes especially handy during the height of summer. Carving dragon heads onto the front of boats is a way to appease the river dragons and prevent droughts while promising good rainfall for the rice harvest. It is also said that dragon boats were used to scare off any fish that would try to eat the body of Qu Yuan after he drowned himself in the river.

Traditionally, people have worn fragrant sachets to ward off evil on this unfortunate day. Filled with aromatic herbs, these colourful ornaments often feature intricate embroidery to welcome good fortune and a long and healthy life. Outside of the Dragon Boat Festival, these sachets are often used to attract better income. So keep ‘em handy all year round. 

Not that we ever need an excuse to drink up, but alcohol consumption is very much a traditional custom that is practised during the holiday. When the festival rolls around, people break out the realgar wine, a Chinese cereal wine mixed with powdered realgar (an arsenic sulfide mineral). The concoction is believed to be an effective antidote against mosquitoes, poison, disease, and evil spirits.

The only sport celebrated with a public holiday in Hong Kong, dragon boat racing is now an internationally recognised sport. Today, it is practised in more than 50 countries, with competitions held around the world such as Singapore, Taiwan, the UK, Australia, and more.

There are more than 20 variations of sticky rice dumplings in China alone. While it might take you some time to travel around different regions to sample them all, there are plenty of varieties to try in Hong Kong. You can go for ones with sweet fillings like red bean paste, dates, and melons, or ones with savoury ingredients such as salted egg, roast pork, and dried shrimp. Some also offer flavours with a modern twist like truffle sauce, crab meat, or even sweet potato.

Prior to South Korea nominating the Gangneung Danoje Festival (a festival also celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month) as an intangible cultural heritage property to UNESCO's list, the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival was not formally under UNESCO’s protection. South Korea’s move to nominate its own festival in 2005 sparked an uproar amongst the Chinese over the festival's origin. Later in 2009, the Dragon Boat Festival was eventually added to the UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

Did you know that in ancient times, people believed that balancing an egg would bring them good luck? According to tradition, the best time to try this feat was at noon during the Dragon Boat Festival. Although reasons for this belief are not entirely clear, some studies suggest that the gravitational pull between the sun and the earth is strongest at this time, thus making it easier for an egg to stand on its tip.