端午节 Duān Wǔ Jié ( Dragon Boat Festival )

The Chinese lunar May 5th is “ 端午节” (“ 端” means early beginning and “ 午” means May , it is usually in the early June of the Gregorian calendar )，known as Dragon Boat Festival , for the memory of the great ancient patriotic poet , Qūyuán 屈原 ( during the Warring States Period , about 340 – 278 BC ).
It is said that it was on the day May 5th, 屈原who used to be a high ranking official and one of the greatest Chinese ancient romantic poets in the kingdom of Chǔ( 楚国), committed suicide by jumping into the Mìluó Jiāng River ( 汨罗江 ) in nowadays Wúnán Province，regretting for his beloved home country which had been occupied by the enemy , Qínguó ( 秦国) because the king ignored his advice and supplanted him . Hearing this sad news , the local people rowed their boats ,rushing into the river and tried to find him but failed . People prepared bunches of colorful wraps , called Zòngzi ( 粽子)containing glutinous rice , beans and meat , dropping them into the river to prevent the fish from eating 屈原.
From that day on, people have been made it as a festival that on the May 5th , people wrap 粽子 and hold dragon boats races in all rivers to memorize the date. 端午节 has become so important a festival that the Chinese government has decided it as a legal public holiday .