Dragon Boat Festival
The Dragon Boat Festival is one of China's largest events. It is held on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, every year, in honor of the famous Chinese scholar Qu Yuan. Qu Yuan tied himself to a rock and threw himself into a river to commit suicide after being ridiculed by the king even though he was highly regarded by statesmen. To protect his body the statesmen threw bamboo leaves filled with rice into the river so the fish wouldn't eat his body, they also banged on drums and splashed the water. To celebrate his life, different teams row dragon shaped boats to a finish line to the beat of a drum; people drink realgar wine, and eat rice dumplings.
When: June 12, 2013
Where: Beijing, China; Hong Kong; Malacca, Malaysia
Admission is free.
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