According to government notification for Dragon Boat Festival Holiday, we will spend a three-day holiday during June 14th-16th, 2010. We'll be back to work on Thursday, June 17th. Thank you for your kind attention and wish you have a good holiday. 

Customs of Dragon Boat Festival

Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu Festival) is one of the most important Chinese festivals, which dates back to about 2,000 years ago with a number of legends explaining its origin. The best-known story is about the great patriotic poet named Qu Yuan. There are various customs of Dragon Boat Festival in different areas of China. Here we will introduce some well known customs as follows:

1. Dragon Boat Race
The main event of the festivities is the Dragon Boat Race. These boats are long and thin with dragon heads on the bow of the ships. The boat races are said to represent the search for Qu Yuan's body, with racing boats in a forward rowing motion, to the rhythm of beating drums.

2. Eating Zongzi
Zongzi is the most popular food for the dragon boat festival. It is a special kind of dumpling which is usually made of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves. Fresh bamboo leaves are the best for the wrapping since the taste and smell of the fresh bamboo leaves is part of zongzi.

3. Hanging Pictures of Zhong Kui
Zhong Kui is one of the Chinese famous folk gods. His picture, a fierce-looking male brandishing a sword, used to be hung up in Chinese houses in order to scare away evil spirits and demons, especially in the time of Dragon Boat Festival.

4. Hanging Calamus and Moxa
On this day, most of the families would also hang calamus and moxa on the front door. This is also to ward off evil.

5. Wearing perfume pouch
Perfume pouch, commonly called Xiangbao, Xiangnang, Xiangdai, is a kind of Chinese traditional mascot with a long history. People make and wear perfume pouches on Dragon Boat Festival in order to scare away evil spirits and Plagues.