Herbs at the door, drums on the water: Dragon Boat Festival returns

Editor's note:

The United Nations has officially designated 44 Chinese traditions as world cultural heritage. This series examines how each of them defines what it means to be Chinese.

If you’ve recently noticed your Chinese neighbors hanging bundles of fragrant, grass-like plants by their doors or windows, you’ve caught a glimpse of the living traditions surrounding the Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on Saturday this year.

These plants — calamus and mugwort — are more than just decorative pieces. In Chinese folklore, they’re believed to repel insects and evil spirits, offering protection as summer approaches.

Celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese lunar calendar, the Dragon Boat Festival is a vibrant tapestry of legend, ritual and seasonal wisdom. With a history spanning more than 2,000 years, it holds the distinction of being the first Chinese festival inscribed on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

While the festival’s origins are layered and complex, its most well-known story honors Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet and politician from the State of Chu during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC). When his homeland fell to enemy forces in 278 BC, Qu was heartbroken and drowned himself in the Miluo River in today’s Hunan Province.

Locals, moved by his loyalty, raced out in boats to search for his body. To keep fish and evil spirits at bay, they tossed zongzi — glutinous rice dumplings — into the river and poured in realgar wine. These acts of grief and reverence gave birth to two of the festival’s most iconic customs: the dragon boat race and the making of zongzi.

But the roots of the Dragon Boat Festival run even deeper than a single tale. Scholars note that the timing — the fifth day of the fifth lunar month — reflects ancient Chinese beliefs in the power of numbers and seasonal transitions. Much like the Shangsi Festival (third day of the third lunar month) and Chongyang Festival (ninth day of the ninth lunar month), the Dragon Boat Festival marks a symbolic moment in the traditional calendar, a time to ward off illness and celebrate the early summer harvest.

While regional practices vary widely, several key traditions are shared across the country.

Zongzi: a taste of time

Zongzi, the festival’s signature food, has been eaten for more than 1,700 years. These often pyramid-shaped dumplings are made of sticky rice wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves, and the fillings vary by region.

In north China, they are typically sweet, featuring red bean paste or jujube. In the south, zongzi lean savory, often packed with marinated pork, salted egg yolk or even chestnuts.

More than just a snack, zongzi are tokens of memory. Wrapped by hand, they are steeped in family tradition and shared across generations.

Of course, dragon boat races are an essential tradition of the Dragon Boat Festival.

These long, narrow boats, often carved with dragon heads and tails, slice through rivers and lakes with breathtaking speed and coordination.

In Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong Province, dragon boats can stretch up to 33 meters and carry more than 100 rowers.

In Shanghai’s suburban Baoshan District, the tradition of Luodian dragon boats, carved from camphor wood and decorated with mythical motifs like crocodile jaws and kylin horns, dates back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and was recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008.

Before the races begin, teams gather for the “eye-dotting” ceremony, a ritual believed to awaken the dragon spirit within the boat. Incense is lit, offerings are made, and rowers don matching uniforms, transforming sport into sacred celebration.

Warding off harm

In ancient China, the fifth day of the fifth lunar month was seen as a “day of poison.” The belief, rooted in early folk traditions, stemmed from the reality that summer heat brought with it a surge in disease, plagues and the proliferation of insects. To guard against misfortune, families turned to powerful rituals rooted in both superstition and practical wisdom.

Among the most recognizable symbols of protection are images of Zhong Kui, a legendary demon-slayer in Chinese folklore. His portraits, a fierce-looking male brandishing a sword, are painted or hung on doors during the festival to dispel evil spirits.

Other protective rituals include placing bundles of mugwort and calamus above doorways. Mugwort and calamus serve both medicinal and symbolic purposes. Mugwort promotes health, while calamus, which is known as one of the “five auspicious plants,” resembles a sword meant to slash away malevolent forces.

Children wear embroidered sachets filled with aromatic herbs and tie five-colored silk threads around their wrists — red, yellow, blue, white and black. These colors, representing the Five Elements and Five Directions in traditional Chinese cosmology, are believed to protect against evil.

And then there’s xionghuang jiu (realgar wine), the yellow rice wine infused with powdered realgar, a mineral once believed to have detoxifying and insect-repelling properties. Due to its toxicity, realgar wine is rarely consumed nowadays. Some parents also paint the Chinese character 王 (king) on children’s foreheads with the yellowish wine, symbolizing a tiger’s might — a guardian spirit to ward off harm.