Dragon Boat Festival: A time to celebrate Chinese heritage

By Rabi Sankar Bosu

Dragon boats race along the Laotongyang Canal in Taizhou City, southeast China’s Jiangsu Province, May 31, 2025. /CFP

China’s rich cultural heritage, built over centuries, has created a huge variety in Chinese people’s lifestyles, cultures and festivals. With a profound ancient heritage, China is a land of enduring beauty, where traditional festivals continue to shine even in today’s fast-paced era.

The Dragon Boat Festival, also called the Duanwu Festival, is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month in the Chinese lunar calendar. So, this weekend, people are gearing up for the traditional boat races, folk dances, the spectacular lion dance and relishing zongzi, the traditional sticky rice dumplings with various kinds of stuffings.

There is a profound historical significance behind the festival. Qu Yuan (340-278 BC), a renowned poet and aristocrat during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), earned the ire of corrupt ministers with his unwavering loyalty. They slandered him to the king and the king, swayed by their deceit, banished his trusted advisor. In despair, Qu Yuan drowned himself in the Miluo River and the locals, moved by his patriotism and sacrifice, threwzongziinto the river so that the fish would eat them and spare Qu Yuan’s body.

The Dragon Boat Festival commemorates Qu Yuan’s memory with thrilling dragon boat races, which embody the spirit of rhythm, strength, and tradition. The festival provides a joyous occasion for the Chinese to come together and celebrate their heritage.

The 24th Ming Lake Dragon Boat Race in Jinan, Shandong Province in east China, May 31, 2025. /CFP

The Dragon Boat Festival was included in China’s first national intangible heritage list announced in 2006. In 2009, UNESCO added it to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

Today, the dragon boat race has evolved into a globally competitive sport, even featuring as a demonstration sport at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The 4th International Dragon Boat Federation World Cup was held at the birthplace of dragon boat racing, the Miluo River in Hunan Province in central China, last year.

Since 2008, the Dragon Boat Festival has become a public holiday in China. The festival activities include eating zongzi, dragon boat races and drinking realgar wine. These and other traditional activities reflect the lifeblood of Chinese culture which has the ability to meet the demands of the times.

In recent years, as a powerful international actor, China has been promoting its traditions, values, languages, and culture to enhance its soft power. Though originating in China, the Dragon Boat Festival today is popular around the world, celebrated in Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam, and has spread as far as Europe and the United States. In Kolkata in east India, the Indian community of Chinese origin marks the festival with lion dances and other cultural performances.

With the rise of China as the world’s second-largest economy and the higher standard of living of the Chinese, traveling has become a custom during traditional Chinese festivals. The Dragon Boat Festival holiday, a three-day break from May 31 this year, is a golden opportunity for both domestic and international tourism.

Notably, during last year’s festival, the Chinese made over 110 million domestic trips, generating a staggering 40.35 billion yuan ($5.57 billion) in tourism spending, as per the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism. This highlights the significant role tourism plays in driving domestic demand and boosting China’s economy. China’s economic growth in 2024 was impressive at 5 percent.

Today, the Dragon Boat Festival is not only a historical memory, but also a symbol of China’s cultural heritage and social unity. The positive message of joy and sharing associated with the festival is an excellent cultural bridge between China and the rest of the world.  

Rabi Sankar Bosu, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, writes about Chinese politics, social and cultural issues, and China-India relations with a special interest in the Belt and Road Initiative.

cgtn.com