During the Dragon Boat Festival, people hang mugwort and calamus in front of their doors. People believe the fragrance of these herbs can drive away illness and purify the air.

 

Although festivals often originally served to respond to the changes in the natural world, the development of festivals relies on the customs that are passed down by people. The Duanwu or Dragon Boat Festival, is one of China’s key traditional holidays and has been celebrated for more than 2,000 years.

The most enduring legend closely associated with this festival is that of Qu Yuan, an outstanding poet and minister of the state of Chu during the Warring States period (403-221 BC). As the legend goes, despairing over the demise of his state, he threw himself into the river and ended his life. Folk history holds that the local people were so shocked by his suicide that they paddled out on boats, attempting to retrieve his body and threw rice buns into the river to tempt the fish away from eating it.
 

Thus, Duanwu is usually celebrated with  traditional customs like dragon boat racing and zongzi, pyramid-shaped dumplings made of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, evoking the wonderful spirit of ancient China. For example, the Duanwu Festival honors the great patriotic poet Qu Yuan, so this celebration reflects the spirit of patriotism and loyalty in Chinese people. In the southern parts of the country, dragon boat racing, one of the central customs of the festival, emphasizes collectivism and group integrity. Only through the efforts of the whole crew can a team win the competition. On the other hand, participating in dragon boat racing also can be regarded as a good chance for social contact because every dragon boat team, organized by units such as a village or a town, can develop the positive interpersonal relations and contribute to team cohesiveness among these geographical groups. It is often believed that dragon boat racing originates from practices commemorating Qu Yuan, but other theories indicate that it was a way of honoring the water god or dragon god. Now it has become a major part of Chinese culture and was inscribed on China’s third national list of intangible cultural heritage in May 2011.
 

Eating zongzi is also one of the most popular Duanwu traditions, showing the characteristics of Chinese cuisine, such as ingredients from different regions, diverse cooking styles, a variety of flavors and of course a delicious taste.