The Dragon Boat Festival is a grand festival celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th month of the Chinese lunar calendar. Its alternative name, the Double Fifth Festival, is derived from the date.  The festival, according to a widely stated story, evolved into one to commemorate the great patriotic poet Qu Yuan of Chu State in the Warring States Period. If that is the case, the Dragon Boat Festival has a history of about 2,500 years. The most popular activities of the Dragon Boat festival are racing dragon boats and eating rice dumplings. Since 2008, the Dragon Boat Festival has been celebrated not only as a festival but also a public holiday in China.

       屈原（约公元前340或339年～公元前278年），战国时期楚国诗人、政治家，是中国历史上第一位伟大的爱国诗人，中国浪漫主义文学的奠基人。以屈原作品为主体的《楚辞》是中国浪漫主义文学的源头，与《诗经》并称“风骚”，对后世诗歌产生了深远影响。

       Qu Yuan  was a Chinese poet and minister who lived during the Warring States period of ancient China. He is known for his patriotism and contributions to classical poetry and verses, especially through the poems of the Chu Ci anthology (also known as The Songs of the South or Songs of Chu). Together with the Shi Jing, the Chu Ci is one of the two great collections of ancient Chinese verse. He is also remembered as the supposed origin of the Dragon Boat Festival.

【习俗】  

       赛龙舟是端午节的一项重要传统，这项传统最初出现在战国时代。那时，赛龙舟仅仅属于祭祀活动。在急促的鼓点中，龙状的小船越过河流，就像刚出炉的点心一样，不仅怡悦神灵，也给人们带来欢乐。后来人们举行龙舟赛，是为了纪念溺江而死的诗人屈原。而今，赛龙舟成为中国人民的传统娱乐方式。

       Dragon Boat Race, a major convention in the Festival, first appeared in the Warring States Age.At that time, it was only a sacrificial activity.Among the rapid drum, the dragon-like canoes cross the river like hot cakes, not only entertaining the gods but also bringing pleasure for people.Later people held Dragon Boat Race to memorialize the poet Qu Yuan who drowned himself in a river. Now Dragon Boat Race is a traditional entertainment for Chinese people.

       在端午节时受欢迎的食物就是粽子，粽子是以米包著肉、花生、蛋黄及其他材料，再以竹叶包裹。而粽子的传统则来由于汨罗江边的渔夫，将米丢入江中平息江中的蛟龙，希望他们不要将屈原吃掉。

     A very popular dish during the Dragon Boat festival is Zongzi. This tasty dish consists of rice dumplings with meat, peanut, egg yolk, or other fillings wrapped in bamboo leaves. The tradition of zongzi is meant to remind us of the village fishermen scattering rice across the water of the Mi Luo river in order to appease the river dragons so that they would not devour Qu Yuan.