By Staff Reporters

The Dragon Boat Festival will fall on June 3 this year. While many of us celebrate the Festival annually, there are many little-known facts and tales regarding its origin and history. Here are some interesting facts about this popular occasion.

Qu Yuan (PHOTO: VCG)

The origin of the Festival

Numerous legends exist related to the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival. The most well-known is to commemorate Qu Yuan, who was a great patriotic poet and exiled official in ancient China during the Warring States Period.

On the fifth day of the fifth Chinese lunar month, when Qu heard that his beloved Chu State had surrendered to the State of Qin, the poet committed suicide in the Miluo River (located in present day Hunan province). Locals desperately attempted to save Qu or reclaim his remains, to no avail. Thereafter, on every fifth day of the fifth lunar month, people beat drums and paddle out on the river in boats to commemorate Qu, as they once did to keep fish and evil spirits away from his body.

Even though the legend of Qu is well-known, other honored people are commemorated during the Dragon Boat Festival throughout China. For example, in the city of Suzhou, Jiangsu province, local people memorialize this day to honor Wu Zixu, an ancient Chinese counselor to the king of the State of Wu.

Traditions related to the Festival

The most noteworthy event of the day is dragon boat racing, in which all participants paddle furiously, in often elaborately decorated boats, competing for victory. In addition, sticky rice dumplings (Zongzi) cannot be overlooked. This traditional pyramid-shaped food is often composed of glutinous rice packed with sweetened bean paste or meat and covered in bamboo or reed leaves.

However, these two traditions do not fully represent the time -honored event of the past.

Chinese ancestors referred to the fifth lunar month as the "month of poison" because poisonous creatures, like spiders and toads, begin to emerge as the temperature rises.

In order to prevent and get rid of sickness caused by high temperature in summer, some people liked to wear perfumed medicine bags to ward against evil. These ornaments are loaded with scented plants and frequently incorporate beautiful embroidery to wish for good fortune, health and longevity.

In addition, as is known to all, Chinese value the healing properties of food. It is believed that a mixture of cereal wine and powdered realgar (an arsenic sulfide mineral) is an excellent antidote for poison from insects, diseases and evil spirits. In some places in China, the salted duck egg is recommended to eat during this season due to its cold property emphasized in traditional culinary culture.

Apart from China, many other Asian countries and regions also celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival.