Chinese Dragon Boat Festival falls on the 5th day of the 5th month on the lunar calendar. Chinese people call the Dragon Boat Festival – Duān Wǔ Jié 端午節|端午节. Because the Dragon Boat Festival date follows the lunar calendar so the date changes each year. In this article, we share the dates from 2023 to 2025.
It is summertime when the Dragon Boat Festival comes. Let’s take a look at
the Dragon Boat Festival celebration. Enjoy a literacy-building Dragon Boat Festival bilingual story in the premium resource library.
We had the chance to see the Dragon Boat Race in person. Both my kids and I took the challenge to participate in the standing-the-egg game at noon. It was an amazing experience and WE DID IT! Let’s look at the pictures, learn the facts about Dragon Boat Festival, and experience this cultural adventure together.
Dragon Boat Race
Learn all 37 Mandarin Sounds at ease with the first Chinese words in “First Mandarin Sounds: An Awesome Chinese Word Book” by Miss Panda. Discover today. Traditional Chinese version | Simplified Chinese version
Question 1: What is the Dragon Boat Festival?
Chinese people call the Dragon Boat Festival – Duān Wǔ Jié (端午節). It is a day to commemorate the patriotic poet, Qu Yuan (屈原) from the Warring States period (戰國時代) of China.
A story that Chinese children enjoy on this day is the story of the White Snake (Bái shé chuán 白蛇傳). The Legend of the White Snake is a love story between a snake and a human, it is a folktale that children talk about during the Dragon Boat Festival season.
This story has been adapted into television dramas and movies in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
Question 2: What are the traditions that Chinese people follow during this festival?
People will participate in the Dragon Boat race. It is now an international event in Taiwan and Hong Kong with teams from all over the world. You will see vendors and restaurants selling rice dumplings, Zhong Zi.
Many families will make their rice dumplings as well. You will also see calamus and moxa plants (蒲草 pú cǎo艾草 ài cǎo ) were put together like a mini bouquet in the market.
Families will hang these bouquets on the front door. The drink for this festival is realgar wine.
Question 3: When is the Dragon Boat Festival?
Answer: This festival occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar. Check out the dates from 2024-2026.
In 2024 it falls on June 10. And… it lands on
May 31, 2025
June 19, 2026
Question 4: What activities do Chinese children do during the Dragon Boat Festival?
Answer: Chinese children watch the dragon boat race, wear sachets with Chinese herb powder insert and play the game of standing the eggs at noon.
Game of standing the eggs
I did it!
Question 5: What food do Chinese people eat during the Dragon Boat Festival celebration?
Answer: Chinese people eat Rice balls wrapped in bamboo leaves with various fillings inside. These rice dumplings are called Zòng zi 粽子 in Mandarin Chinese.
There are two ways to cook zòng zi. They are either steamed or boiled.
There are salty fillings with meat, sweet fillings with red bean paste, or plain ones without any filling.
Watch the video below to visit a wonderful market in Taipei and see all the different kinds of rice dumplings.
Also, traditionally, this is the day to drink realgar wine – Xióng huáng jiǔ – 雄黃酒. For kids, the adults will put a dot of realgar wine (yellowish color) on their foreheads to prevent disease and evil spirits.
Make Rice Dumplings – zòng zi – 粽子 in 6 Steps!
Visit an Asian supermarket and you see these long bamboo leaves are available now!
Here is another easy-to-follow Zong Zi Making Video in English!
Dragon Boat Festival STEM Activity – Stand the Eggs
Dragon Boat Festival Craft Project: Making Paper Rice Dumplings
Words and Phrases to know about Dragon Boat Festival – Duān Wǔ Jié – 端午節
1. Dragon Boat Festival – Duān wǔ jié 端午節
2. The patriotic poet commemorated on the Dragon Boat Festival – Qū Yuán 屈原
3. Dragon – lóng 龍
4. Dragon boat – lóng zhōu 龍舟 or lóng chuán 龍船
5. Dragon Boat Race – huà lóng zhōu 划龍舟
6. Rice balls that people make and eat on the Dragon Boat Festival – zòng zi 粽子
7. to eat a rice ball – chī zòng zi 吃粽子
8. Sachets that children wear on Dragon Boat Festival – xiāng bāo 香包
9. to wear a sachet – dài xiāng bāo 戴香包
10. The plant that hangs on the doors on the Dragon Boat Festival – wormwood – ài cǎo 艾草
Read more Chinese teaching resources from Miss Panda. Sign Up for Email Updates:
Literacy Building with Stories
Active learning boosts Chinese language acquisition and cultural connection. Stories are the best way to guide kids to use the target language, understand the context, and immerse in the experience of a story with pictures, hands-on activities, and discussion. Here is a story resource you can share with kids and inspire their imagination, cultural experiences, and curiosity.
Dragon Boat Festival with Audio Support – MPC Chinese Story Reader Series
Traditional Chinese version | Simplified Chinese version
Perfumed sachets at the market
Making sachets with Chinese medicine at home
Chinse Drama and Animation based on the folktale of the White Snake
Legend of the White Snake on Netflix | TV-14
White Snake animation | Not suitable for young viewers under 14
Happy Dragon Boat Festival!
端午節快樂! = Duān wǔ jié kuài lè! = 端午节快乐！
Be Curious!
Are There Any Festivals Around the World Similar to the Dragon Boat Festival?
Here are five festivals from different cultures that are similar to the Dragon Boat Festival, with boat races, water, and/or community activities.
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Japan – Mifune Festival: A party happens in Japan every May in Arashiyama, Kyoto. This is an event that recreates the fancy boat parties thrown by emperors and their friends one thousand years ago. Mifune Festival is translated into three boat festival in Chinese – sān chuán jì – 三船祭. But, the “three” refers to the activities participants do on the boat: reciting Japanese and Chinese poetry, performing music, and dancing. The boats’ decoration is with the heads of a bird or a dragon.
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UK – Thames Traditional Boat Festival: This festival was established in 1978 by a group of river enthusiasts who wished to preserve the knowledge and traditions of the Thames River. Activity: The festival includes parades of traditional boats, many of them historic, along the Thames River. It’s a celebration of boatbuilding and craftsmanship and it’s a family festival where the whole family can enjoy.
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India – Vallam Kali (Snake Boat Race): The festival is rooted in the state of Kerala, India. It’s held during Onam, Kerala’s harvest festival. Activity: The festival features snake boats – long and narrow boats. It is a type of canoe racing. Each boat is about 30-35 meters (100-120 feet) long and it can hold up to over 100 rowers, and the races are a thrilling spectacle of speed and rhythm which is similar to the Dragon Boat Race.
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Canada – Yukon River Quest: The race began in 1999 following the path of the historic Klondike Gold Rush in Canada. Activity: Known as the “Race to the Midnight Sun,” it’s the world’s longest annual paddling race. Teams paddle day and night through the wilderness and whitewater to reach the finish line. The rule is that the teams need to complete the route under 85 hours.
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Italy – Regata Storica: The first races were recorded in the mid-13th century in Venice. Activity: Regata Storica has two events, one is a historical boats parade and the other is boat races. This event has been practiced in the Venetian lagoon for thousands of years. The festival is a reenactment of the welcome given to Caterina Cornaro, wife of the King of Cyprus, in 1489 after she renounced her throne in favor of Venice.
Each of these festivals, like the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, celebrates unique aspects of their cultures and histories while bringing communities together.
Extended learning resources for Dragon Boat Festival
Books: 5 Children’s Books about the Dragon Boat Festival
Culture: The savory treat of the Dragon Boat Festival and the aunties who make them
Story: The Story of the Dragon Boat Festival in animation (short animation for children)
Food: Cooking with Grace: How to Make Rice Dumplings ＝ Zhong Zi 粽子 (video)
History: More about Dragon Boat Festival
Story: Legend of the White Snake
Story: The Story of the Dragon Boat Festival (in Chinese characters and pin yin with audio in Mandarin Chinese)
Craft: Dragon Boat Festival Coloring pages
Craft: Make a Boat – craft pattern
Paper Dragon Race – Super Fun with the kids at home or at school!
Craft: Make an origami boat – video
Miss Panda Chinese is a participant of the Amazon Associate Program.
More in the Chinese Culture for Kids Series
Chinese Lunar New Year 春節｜春节
Lantern Festival 元宵節| 元宵节
Qing Ming Festival 清明節 |清明节
Dragon Boat Festival 端午節 | 端午节
Moon Festival 中秋節 |中秋节
Chinese Valentine’s Day 七夕
Hungry Ghost Festival 中元節 |中元节
Winter Solstice 冬至 |冬至
Dragon Boat Festival • Chinese Culture for Kids • Read to Connect Your World • Dragon Boat Festival • World Culture for Kids
post update in 2024
What a great Chinese language learning resource! I would love to take my children to a Dragon Boat Festival. It looks like great fun.
It was a wonderful experience to participate in the event. If you have a chance do make sure you can row the dragon boat with a team.
What are some phrases for the festival
You will enjoy this ebook with key phrases, sentences and audio support for Dragon Boat Festival at http://bit.ly/2wuUBsH