Dragon Boat Festival
The 5th day of the 5th lunar month, commemorating the patriot poet Qu Yuan. Featuring zongzi rice dumplings, thrilling dragon boat races, and mugwort hung at the door to ward off evil.
Days until the next Dragon Boat Festival
Dragon Boat Festival — Dates by Year
Origins
The most popular origin story commemorates Qu Yuan, a loyal minister-poet of the Chu Kingdom who drowned himself in the Miluo River on this day after being unjustly exiled. People threw rice into the river to protect his body and raced boats to search for him. The 5th lunar month was called the "month of poisons," giving rise to many protective customs against illness and evil spirits.
Traditional Customs
Festival customs include hanging mugwort and calamus at the door, wearing fragrant herb sachets (xiāngbāo) filled with medicinal herbs, and the famous noon egg-standing challenge — said to bring luck for the year if you can balance an egg upright at exactly noon. Children's foreheads are marked with cinnabar for protection, and various purification rituals are performed to drive away illness.
Zongzi Culture
Zongzi (glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves) come in two Taiwanese styles: Northern-style uses pre-fried rice packed with pork, mushrooms, salted egg yolk, and chestnuts, then steamed; Southern-style uses raw rice wrapped and boiled, yielding a softer texture. Hakka and indigenous varieties each have distinct character. Vegetarian and sweet zongzi have grown in popularity in recent years.
Dragon Boat Racing
Dragon boat racing reenacts the search for Qu Yuan and is now an international sport. Races are held on rivers and lakes around Taiwan near the festival, drawing large crowds. A standard dragon boat holds 20–22 paddlers and a drummer setting the pace. Taiwanese teams compete in world dragon boat championships, and the festive atmosphere during race season is electric.