Dragon Boat Festival on May 5th: A review of the customs of the Dragon Boat Festival in Asian countries

The Dragon Boat Festival, one of the three significant traditional Chinese holidays, is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of lunar calendar, alongside the Lunar New Year and the Mid-Autumn Festival. Additionally, UNESCO has formally recognized the Dragon Boat Festival's historical and cultural roots as a part of the "Intangible Cultural Heritage."

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Hang wormwood and calamus at the door to drive away insects and avoid evil spirits.Photo reproduced from 草器 Facebook

On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, in addition to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and mainland China, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam also celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival. The Dragon Boat Festival has its own special activities and meanings as a result of regional and cultural variations.

Japan's Dragon Boat Festival is Boy's Day, praying for the health of boys.Photo reproduced from 熊本觀光 Facebook

The Dragon Boat Festival in Taiwan still follows many long-standing traditions. There is a tradition of "expelling poison and avoiding evil spirits" in addition to eating rice dumplings and rowing dragon boats. The first celebration after the start of summer is the Dragon Boat celebration. The prevalence of illnesses and plagues increases with rising temperatures. As a result, people will hang wormwood and calamus at their front doors to fend off evil spirits, keep mosquitoes away, and keep illnesses at bay.

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The Dragon Boat Festival in Vietnam is called Tết Đoan Ngọ. It is traditional to eat sweet wine, sour fruits and pancakes.Photo reproduced from Vietnam News Agency

The Dragon Boat Festival in Japan is often referred to as Boys' Day. On the festival day, households with male members hang carp flags as a sign of power and bravery and to wish their sons healthy development. Similar to the Chinese custom, the Japanese also keep calamus at home to ward against insects and evil spirits.

Dragon Boat Festival on May 5th: A review of the customs of the Dragon Boat Festival in Asian countries.Photo reproduced from 東石港先天宮王船祭Facebook

The Dragon Boat Festival is known as "Dano" (단오) in South Korea, and people there make special sacred wine, have mountain deity rites, and other celebrations because they think that it is a day for gods and humanity to have fun together. The offering lasts for up to a month. The Dragon Boat Festival is observed in different ways throughout cultures.

In Vietnam, the fifth day of the fifth lunar month is an important traditional event called "Tết Đoan Ngọ" in addition to the traditional practices of the Dragon Boat Festival.

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Dragon Boat Festival on May 5th: A review of the customs of the Dragon Boat Festival in Asian countries.Photo provided by NIA Kinmen Service Center

In the hot and humid lunar month of May in Vietnam, which is predominately an agricultural country, there are a lot of snakes, insects, mosquitoes, etc., and locusts will devour the crops that are ready to be harvested. The fifth day of the fifth lunar month is known in Vietnam as "Tết Đoan Ngọ." On this day, in addition to basic cleaning, herbs like mugwort and citronella are also gathered to ward off pests.

The unique name of the Dragon Boat Festival in Thailand is " Ba Chang Festival," which sounds like a Taiwanese "meat rice dumpling." The reason is also influenced by Chinese immigrants from Chaozhou, and Thai rice dumplings use ingredients such as ginkgo, chestnuts, and sausages, which have a special flavor.

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Dragon Boat Festival on May 5th: A review of the customs of the Dragon Boat Festival in Asian countries.Photo reproduced from TUANTDT'S CHINESE BLOG Facebook

Since Chinese make up more than a quarter of the population in locations like Singapore and Malaysia, the traditional practices of the Dragon Boat Festival are similar to those in Taiwan. Making rice dumplings and rowing dragon boats are additional ways to commemorate the event.

Despite the fact that European and American nations lack the customs and traditions associated with the Dragon Boat Festival, thanks to the impact of Chinese culture, dragon boat rowing is recognized as a sport and has become more popular in Germany and the United States. For more than 10 years, Germany has even turned dragon boat racing into an exciting event in Europe.