Row, Row, Row Your Boat

It's that time of the year again - Duan Wu Jie (Dumpling Festival or Dragon Boat Festival).

Dumpling Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Lunar calendar (or June according to the English calendar). In a nutshell, it is a day to commemorate the poet Qu Yuan, who was a loyal official in the court of the Chu Kingdom. However, other officials told lies about Qu Yuan to the emperor. As a result, he was banished from the court by the emperor who believed the words of the evil officials.

For the next 20 years, the Chu kingdom gradually diminished and fell into the hands of the Qin Kingdom. Qu Yuan was very sad that his beloved country was ruled by another country. Hence, he decided to put an end to his life by jumping into the river. Upon hearing Qu Yuan's death, fishermen set off on boats to search for his body. When they could not find it, they tossed rice wrapped in bamboo leaves into the river, so that the fishes in the river would eat the dumplings instead of his body. That was how it started the traditions of dragon boat races and eating rice dumplings on Duan Wu Jie.

For more information, please also feel free to check out other Chinese festivals