Dragon Boat Festival in Taiwan | History, Traditions, Top 5 Dragon Boat Racing Spots

The Dragon Boat Festival is one of the most important and representative holidays in Taiwan. If you’ve never heard of Dragon Boat Festival, you may wonder, what’s the origin of this holiday? How do people celebrate this traditional holiday? Where can I watch the famous dragon boat racing?

Apart from dragon boat racing and enjoying the rice dumpling — zongzi, what else do Taiwanese people do during this festival? What activities are there in Taiwan which we could take part in to have fun on Dragon Boat Festival?

Dragon boat festival, this traditional Chinese holiday, occurs on the 5th day of the 5th month of the lunar calendar, which gives it another name the Double Fifth Festival. Since the date is counted under Lunar Calendar, the date on the Western calendar varies every year.

History of Dragon Boat Festival

There are several versions about the original story of the Dragon Boat Festival, and the most commonly known is the one about Qu Yuan.

Back in the Warring States period of the Zhou Dynasty, China was in a chaotic situation and divided into several states and kingdoms. Qin, one of the strongest kingdoms aimed to take down all the other countries and set up one great empire, while the kingdom of Chu, Qu Yuan’s country, was only a smaller state in southern China.

Qu Yuan was widely loved and respected by the people due to his wisdom and kindness, and his passionate heart for his country. So when his king decided to ally with Qin, he opposed intensely as he knew that it was a trap.

But with some of the evil people speaking ill of Qu Yuan, the king was convinced that he was not trustworthy and banished him into exile. When he heard that his country was taken over by the kingdom of Qin, he became so devastated, walked into Miluo River, and drowned himself.

People who respected him rushed out with boats and tried to save him, but it was too late. So they threw sticky rice balls into the river and let the fish eat them instead of eating Qu Yuan’s body. This was the most commonly known origin of the Dragon Boat Festival.

Another theory suggests that this story was only superimposed onto a pre-existing holiday tradition by Confucian scholars to empower their own influence in China. Some also say historians recorded the story mainly to praise Qu Yuan’s character.

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The Practices and Traditions

Dragon Boat Racing

This dragon boat racing tradition came from people’s attempt to save Qu Yuan, or they’re trying to disperse the fish so they wouldn’t eat his body.

Hence, they annually held the race and made it a ceremonial and ritualistic tradition on the Dragon Boat Festival. It was more popular in southern central China and became an international sports event later on.

Eating Zongzi and Drinking Realgar Wine

If you are a food lover, you surely cannot miss the traditional cuisine in this day, which is the well-known rice dumpling called “zongzi”, and drinking realgar wine.

It was said that the zongzi was originated from the sticky rice balls people threw into the river as baits to keep them from eating Qu Yuan’s body. Even though there are also some people saying that zongzi didn’t come from the death of Qu Yuan, but this tale surely is attached to the story now.

Realgar wine is an alcoholic drink made from yellow wine dosed with a yellow-orange arsenic sulfide mineral. It has been used against mosquitoes and considered antidote of poison by Chinese medicine. For children who are too young to have this drink, adults will use the wine and write the letter 王(King) on their foreheads to protect them from evil spirits and diseases.

Hanging up Mugwort and Calamus

Some people hang up mugwort and calamus, kinds of Chinese herbs, outside of their door frames. The time of the holiday is the start of the summer so mosquitoes and pests are getting more and more. And mugwort and calamus are pest-repelling plants that give off scents.

Standing an Egg at Noon

Make a raw egg to stand on its tip at the noon of the Dragon Boat Festival is also a tradition of the festival. People believe that on this day, if one can make an egg stand and remain balance at noon, he or she will have good luck for the coming year.

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Wearing Fragrant Pouches

Stuffed with fragrant flower petals, herbs, and vanilla, the little pouches give off a nice aroma and are usually carried by waists. Rather than the modern use of perfume, the little pouches are for medical use such as sterilizing and avoiding diseases.

Wearing a Five-color String Bracelet

Green, white, red, yellow, and black represents five kinds of spiritual power that are convinced to be able to eliminate misfortunes. So parents tie them to their kids’ wrists before the sunrise of the holiday and throw them away once it rains after the Dragon Boat Festival so the bad luck is metaphorically thrown away together.

5 Activities of Dragon Boat Festival in Taiwan

1. Taipei International Dragon Boat Championship

When: usually around the Dragon Boat Festival (5th day of the 5th lunar month, in late May or June); dates are announced each year
Place: Dajia Riverside Park, Keelung River, Taipei City

During the event, people can go to Dajia Riverside Park and see hundreds of teams competing for the championship of dragon boat race. Also, you can DIY your own mugwort bouquet to bless yourself a healthy body. The temporary markets set up along the riverbank will also be available for people to have their stomach greatly satisfied.

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2. New Taipei city Speaker Cup Dragon Boat Championship

When: usually around the Dragon Boat Festival (5th day of the 5th lunar month, in late May or June); dates are announced each year
Place: Weifong Canal (Breeze Canal), New Taipei City

There are several interesting activities including onshore dragon boat race, parent-children dragon boat race, concert, and picnic. And it is a perfect activity for the whole family to take part in and have fun together.

3. Lukang Dragon Boat Festival

When: a series of events over several weeks leading up to the Dragon Boat Festival; dates are announced each year
Place: Lukang, Changhua

Listed as one of the “12 Major Festivals in Taiwan,”  it has been held annually for years and it really helps promote the local historic monuments, humanistic scenes, handicrafts, culture, and gourmet food. It is also called Longwan Festival (Dragon King Festival) because they welcome God of Dragon King and God of Daffodils to bless the upcoming events.

4. Tainan International Dragon Boat Championship

When: usually around the Dragon Boat Festival (5th day of the 5th lunar month, in late May or June); dates are announced each year
Place: Anping Canal, Tainan

Before the activity starts, they hold ceremony first to draw the eyes onto the dragon boat and worship the god of the river to bless that everything will be great.

There are also egg painting or fragrant pouches DIY activities for kids to enjoy. Other activities in past years have included talks on the festival, exhibitions and power boat races.

5. Kaohsiung Love River Dragon Boat Carnival

When: usually around the Dragon Boat Festival (5th day of the 5th lunar month, in late May or June); dates are announced each year
Place: Love River, Kaohsiung

Besides the traditional dragon boat race, there are also innovative activities like dragon boat version of tug of war and DIY recycled raft race. Along the river banks, there are street artists performing live and stands where people can buy Taiwan cuisine, local agricultural products, and souvenirs.

After reading this article, do you know more about one of the oldest and most important holidays of traditional Chinese culture? For more ideas, see Things to Do in Taiwan – Dragon Boat Festival and your ultimate holiday day tour on Dragon Boat Festival.

Enjoy Taiwan with our local tour guides! Come experience our Dragon Boat Festival, and feel this traditional holiday atmosphere yourself!

Cover photo: 玄史生, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons