Dragon boat racing¹ is an indispensable part of the festival, held all over the country. As the gun is fired, people will see racers in dragon-shaped canoes pulling the oars² harmoniously³ and hurriedly, accompanied by rapid drums, speeding toward their destination.

Dragon boat racing is an indispensable part of the festival, held all over the country.(cnsphoto)

Folk tales say the game originates from the activities of seeking Qu Yuan's body, but experts, after painstaking⁴ and meticulous⁵ research, conclude that dragon boat racing is a semi-religious, semi-entertaining program from the Warring States Period (475-221 BC). In the following thousands of years, the game spread to Japan, Vietnam and Britain as well as China's Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Now dragon boat racing has developed into an aquatic⁶ sports item which features both Chinese tradition and modern sporting spirit. In 1980, it was listed into the state sports competition programs and has since been held every year. The award is called "Qu Yuan Cup."