Dragon Boat Festival Secrets: Learn Cantonese and Discover the Dark History Behind This Iconic Chinese Celebration

4 min readJun 21, 2023

The Dragon Boat Festival (端午節 dyun1 ng5 zit3) is one of the most iconic Chinese celebrations, known for its colorful boats, lively dragon dances, and delicious rice dumplings. But did you know there’s a dark side to this festive tradition?

We always make learning Cantonese easy and fun by talking stories about Chinese Culture.

Legend has it that the Dragon Boat Festival commemorates the tragic death of a famous Chinese poet, Qu Yuan (屈原wat1 jyun4), who drowned himself in a river after being exiled from his homeland. But some say there’s more to this story than meets the eye.

According to legend, Qu Yuan (屈原wat1 jyun4) was a Chinese poet and politician who lived during the Warring States period. He was exiled from his home state of Chu and later committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River.

The story goes that after Qu Yuan’s death, local villagers rowed out on the river to search for his body but failed. In order to keep fish and evil spirits away from his body, the villagers splashed the water with their paddles and beat drums. This is said to be the origin of the dragon boat festival1.

The dragon boat festival is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month in China. It is a time when people eat rice dumplings and race dragon boats in honor of Qu Yuan.

There also have very famous Cantonese slang. The word in Cantonese” Qu (屈 wat)” has another meaning as “treat unjustly(冤戾jyun1 leoi6)”. It describes a person who is often wronged by others, just like “Qu Yuan”. You can say: “This person is such as Qu Yuan! (呢條友真係屈原 ne1 tiu4 jau5 zan1 hai6 wat1 jyun4)”!

The Dragon Boat Festival also known as the May Festival (五月節ng5 jyut6 zit3), is a popular and exciting Chinese festival that takes place on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, which usually falls in late May or early June. Here are some of the most attractive activities associated with the festival:

Dragon Boat Racing (龍舟競渡/ 扒龍船 lung4 zau1 ging6 dou6 / paa4 lung4 syun4): The centerpiece of the festival is the dragon boat race, in which teams of rowers compete against each other in long, colorful boats that are shaped like dragons. The races are held on rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water, and the atmosphere is electric, with crowds cheering on the teams and performers playing traditional music.
Eating Rice dumpling(粽zung2): Another important activity during the Dragon Boat Festival is eating Rice dumpling, a type of rice dumpling that is wrapped in bamboo leaves and stuffed with fillings such as meat, eggs, or beans. Rice dumplings are a traditional food of the festival, and families often gather together to make and eat them. Talking of Rice dumplings, how many kinds of Rice dumplings do you know? And which kind of Rice dumpling do you like most? Please let me know in the comments!
In addition to watching dragon boat races, many people also participate in swimming events to celebrate the festival. Cantonese believe that swimming in the Dragon Boat water is good for children’s health. Today, Dragon Boat swimming(游龍舟水jau4 lung4 zau1 seoi2) is a popular way to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival and to honor the memory of Qu Yuan. Whether you’re an experienced open-water swimmer or just looking for a fun and unique way to celebrate the festival, Dragon Boat swimming is a great activity to try!
Like dragon boat racing, Dragon Boat swimming has a long history in Chinese culture and is said to have originated from the legend of Qu Yuan. According to legend, when Qu Yuan was exiled from his kingdom, he threw himself into a river in despair. The local people raced out in their boats to try to save him, and they also beat drums and splashed the water with their paddles to scare away the fish and other creatures that might harm him.
Apart from being a traditional Chinese festival, the Dragon Boat Festival also marks an important weather boundary. As the saying goes, ‘If you haven’t eaten Rice dumpling in May, you dare not send away your winter clothes!’(未食五月粽，寒衣不敢送！mei6 sik6 ng5 jyut6 zung2，hon4 ji1 bat1 gam2 sung3 ！ ) This means that before the Dragon Boat Festival, the weather can still be fluctuating between hot and cold, but after the festival, summer officially arrives!”

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the history of the Dragon Boat Festival and explore some of the shocking secrets behind this beloved holiday, Everyone is welcome to leave comments and discuss.

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Dragon Boat Festival Secrets: Learn Cantonese and Discover the Dark History Behind This Iconic Chinese Celebration

Written by Easy Chan