the dragon boat festival is one of three major chinese holidays, along with the spring and moon festivals. of the three, it is possibly the oldest, dating back to the warring states period in 227 b.c. the festival commemorates qu yuan, a minister in the service of the chu emperor. despairing over corruption at court, qu threw himself into a river. townspeople jumped into their boats and tried in vain to save him. then, hoping to distract hungry fish from his body, the people scattered rice on the water.
端午節與春節和中秋節並列為中國三大節日。這三個節日中，它可能是最古老的一個，可以追溯到公元前227年的戰國時代。這個節日是為了紀念楚國的大夫屈原，他因為對朝廷的貪污腐敗感到絕望而投河自盡。鎮上的人紛紛衝上船去救他，卻沒有成功。後來大家把米撒到水裡，希望把飢餓的魚群從他的軀體邊引開。