The 5th day of the 5th month of the lunar year is an important day for the Chinese people. The day called “Duan Wu”（meaning Day of Right Mid-Day) is observed everywhere in China.

每年农历的五月初五,是中国传统的端午节，又称端阳节、重午节、天中节等。

This unique Chinese celebration dates back to earliest times and a number of legends explain its origins.

过端午的习俗由来已久，大约开始于春秋战国之际。但是关于端午节的始源， 却有不同的说法。

The best known story centers on a patriotic¹ court official named Qu Yuan, of the State of Chu during the Warring States Period more than 2, 000 years ago.

而其中流传最广、影响最大的是纪念屈原一说。

In a last desperate protest, he threw himself into the river and drowned.

屈原自感无力挽救楚国的衰亡，于五月五日自沉汨罗江而死。

Later Qu Yuan's sympathizers jumped into boats, beat the water with their oars² and made rice dumplings wrapped in reed-leaves (zongzi) and scattered³ them into the Miluo River in the hope that fish in the river would eat the rice dumplings instead of the body of the deceased poet.

老百姓很同情屈原的遭遇，为了避免屈原的尸体被鱼鳖吞食，便于五月五日这一天划着龙舟在江中驱赶鱼鳖，并将包好的粽子投放江中来喂鱼鳖，以保护屈原的尸体。