Th Dragon Boat Fstival occurs on th fifth day of th fifth moon of th lunar calndar(阴历). It is on of th thr most important of th annual Chins fstivals. Th othr two ar th Autumn Moon Fstival and Chins Nw Yar.

Th story of this colorful fstival concrns a famous Chins scholar-statsman(政治家) namd Chu Yuan(屈原) who, som thr cnturis bfor th birth of Christ, srvd th King of Chu(楚怀王)during th Warring Stats priod. As a loyal ministr(大臣), Chu Yuan at first njoyd th full confidnc and rspct of his sovrign(君主). vntually, through th intrigus of his rivals, h was discrditd(不足信的, 不名誉的).

Chu Yuan was nvr abl to rgain(恢复) th mpror's favor and on th fifth day of th fifth moon in th yar 295 B.C.(Bfor Christ), at th ag of 37, Chu Yuan claspd a ston to his chst and plungd into th Milo Rivr(汨罗江) in th Hunan Provinc(湖南省).

Rspcting th ministr as an upright(正直的) and honst man, th popl who livd in th ara jumpd into thir boats and rushd out in a vain sarch for him. This unsuccssful rscu attmpt is a part of what th Dragon Boat Fstival commmorats vry yar.

Probably th most xciting and intrsting aspct of th fstival is th racing of th Dragon Boats. Ths racs not only symboliz th popl's attmpt to sav Chu Yuan, thy also dmonstrat th Chins virtus(美德) of coopration and tamwork.

Anothr activity of th Fstival is th making and ating of a kind of dumpling calld Tzungtzu (粽子). Whn it bcam known that Chu Yuan was gon forvr, th popl, living along th rivr, thrw cookd ric into th watr as a sacrific(祭品) to thir dad hro. Thy wrappd(包) ric in bamboo lavs(粽叶), and stuffd(填满) it with ham, bans, ban past(豆沙), saltd gg yoks, sausags, nuts, and/or vgtabls.

To th Chins th fifth lunar moon is mor than just th Dragon Boat Fstival. Sinc antiquity(古代), thy hav blivd that this month is a pstilntial and dangr-fraught(瘟疫的及充满危险的) priod. Childrn born in this month ar said to b difficult to rais(抚养), and popl tnd to concntrat thir fforts during this tim attmpting to protct thir familis from ills and misfortun. Th day of th Dragon Boat Fstival is customarily th tim whn claning and sanitation(卫生) ar strssd(着重, 强调). Most familis hang calamus(菖蒲) and artmisia(艾草) abov thir doors, both as a dcoration and as a prvntiv against pstilnc.

Ancint folk mdicins(民间药物) such as ralgar(雄黄酒)ar addd to th food atn on th Fstival day. This is blivd to prvnt disas and to promot a halthy digstiv systm(消化器官). Th drinking of ralgar in win supposdly rlivs(解除) th ffcts of poisons accumulatd in human bodis.

Th sachts (Hsiang Pao in Chins香包) ar vry popular with childrn and thy vi(竞争) with ach othr to collct as many as possibl. Childrn ar not th only ons who collct Hsiang Pao. Oldr popl ar oftn givn thm as a symbol of rspct, and thy ar highly prizd bcaus of th intricat(复杂的) and bautiful mbroidry(刺绣) that adorns(装饰) thm.

Th Dragon Boat Fstival is an ntrtaining and njoyabl vnt. It givs th obsrvr an opportunity to glimps a part of th rich Chins cultural hritag.