Dragon Boat Festival
A traditional Chinese holiday observed on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, marked by dragon boat racing and eating zongzi.
Qu Yuan: A Chinese poet and statesman of the Warring States period, traditionally associated with the Dragon Boat Festival. Festival legends say people raced boats and threw rice into the water after his death.
Dragon boat racing: A team paddling sport in which crews race long, narrow boats, often to the beat of a drummer. Racing is the festival's most visible public activity and a major competitive tradition.
Qu Yuan legend: A traditional account linking the Dragon Boat Festival to the death of the poet Qu Yuan. It explains racing and rice offerings as attempts to recover or honor Qu Yuan.
Intangible cultural heritage: Cultural practices, knowledge, and expressions transmitted between generations and recognized as heritage. Festival rituals and skills are preserved as living practices rather than only as historic objects.
Zongzi: A traditional Chinese food of glutinous rice wrapped in leaves and cooked by boiling or steaming. Its preparation and sharing are central to festival meals and stories about Qu Yuan.
Dragon boat: A long, narrow human-powered boat decorated with a dragon head and tail, used especially for racing. These boats give the holiday its name and carry competing paddling crews.
Wu Zixu: A statesman and military leader of the Spring and Autumn period, remembered in some festival traditions. Some regional accounts connect the festival to commemorations of Wu Zixu rather than Qu Yuan.
International Dragon Boat Federation: The international governing body for dragon boat sport, founded in 1991. Its rules and events helped standardize racing beyond traditional festival settings.
Chinese lunar calendar: A lunisolar calendar used to determine traditional Chinese dates and festivals. The festival falls on its fifth day of the fifth lunar month.
Mugwort: Aromatic plants in the genus Artemisia, used in food, medicine, and traditional protective practices. Some festival customs display mugwort to repel harmful influences and insects.