The Dragon Boat Festival, also named Duanwu Festival, is a traditional Chinese cultural festival with a history of over 2,000 years, celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month every year.

The most widely known origin of this festival is to honor Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet of the Chu State during the Warring States Period. Devoted to his country, Qu Yuan was framed and exiled. Witnessing the fall of his homeland, he drowned himself in the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Local villagers rowed boats to search for his body and threw rice dumplings into the river to prevent fish from eating his remains. These acts gradually evolved into today’s classic festival customs: dragon boat racing and eating zongzi (glutinous rice dumplings)Hangzhou Municipal People's Government. People also hang wormwood, wear sachets to ward off diseases and pray for family health.

In 2026, the Dragon Boat Festival falls on June 19th. According to the official holiday arrangement released by China’s General Office of the State Council, the holiday lasts for 3 consecutive days from Friday, June 19 to Sunday, June 21, 2026, with no work rescheduling required. Everyone can enjoy a complete break to experience traditional folk culture, reunite with families or arrange short trips before returning to work normally on Monday, June 22