Dragon Boat race
Traditions At the center of this festival are the dragon boat races.
Competing teams drive their colorful dragon boats
forward to the rhythm of beating drums. These exciting
races were inspired by the villager's
valiant attempts to rescue Chu Yuan from the Mi Lo
river. This tradition has remained unbroken for centuries.
Tzung Tzu
A very popular dish during the Dragon Boat festival is tzung
tzu. This tasty dish consists of rice dumplings with meat, peanut, egg
yolk, or other fillings wrapped in bamboo leaves.
The tradition of tzung tzu is meant to remind us of the village fishermen scattering
rice across the water of the Mi Low river in order to appease the river dragons
so that they would not devour Chu Yuan.
Ay Taso
The time of year of the Dragon Boat Festival, the fifth lunar moon, has more significance
than just the story of Chu Yuan. Many Chinese consider this time of year an especially
dangerous time when extra efforts must be made to protect their family from illness.
Families will hang various herbs, called Ay Tsao,
on their door for protection. The drinking of realgar wine
is thought to remove poisons from the body. Hsiang Bao
are also worn. These sachets contain various fragrant
medicinal herbs thought to protect the wearer from illness.