Lesser-Known Facts About the Dragon Boat Festival – How Many Do You Know?
The scent of mugwort fills the air, rice dumpling leaves turn green, and dragon boats race across the water.
Wishing all our clients and industry peers a peaceful and healthy Dragon Boat Festival!
As a global logistics provider with shipments flying across every continent, Meest keeps busy transporting goods worldwide, yet today we can still smell the aroma of rice dumplings coming from all corners of the globe.
Many regard the Dragon Boat Festival merely as “the festival for eating zongzi (rice dumplings)”, but this ancient traditional holiday holds plenty of lesser-known trivia even many Chinese people are unaware of.
Today, we set aside delivery work and take you on a time-travel journey to uncover stories behind the Dragon Boat Festival.
I. How Many Aliases Does the Dragon Boat Festival Have?
The roots of the Dragon Boat Festival stretch far further back than the well-known legend of Qu Yuan. Folklorists have put forward diverse theories on its origins, most tracing its history all the way to the Xia Dynasty. Over thousands of years, the festival has become intertwined with numerous historical and cultural figures.
One of China’s four major traditional festivals, it is a grand folk occasion integrating worship of deities and ancestors, prayers for blessings and warding off evil spirits, celebrations, entertainment and special seasonal cuisine. It boasts more than 20 alternative names including Dragon Boat Festival, Double Fifth Festival, Mid-Summer Festival and so on, serving as a shared cultural icon and symbol of the Chinese nation for all ethnic groups across China.
The Origin of Dragon Boat Racing: More Than a Tribute to Qu Yuan
Most people believe dragon boat races originated from an effort to retrieve Qu Yuan’s body from the river. However, renowned scholar Wen Yiduo argued in Research on the Dragon Boat Festival that the festival likely evolved from the ancient dragon totem worship of the Wu-Yue ethnic groups — a festival for clans holding totem rituals. Beyond that, early dragon boat races carried primitive purposes such as dispelling bad luck and illnesses, and offering sacrifices to river gods. Later, the tradition gradually merged with the legend commemorating Qu Yuan, eventually forming the folk custom we know today.
Why Do We Wish Others “Peace and Health” Instead of “Happy Holiday”?
A common belief is that since the festival commemorates tragic figures like Qu Yuan (who drowned himself in a river) and Wu Zixu (whose eyes were hung above city gates), people should offer wishes of well-being rather than joy.
More importantly, the fifth lunar month was deemed a “poisonous month” in ancient times. Hot, humid weather brought swarms of snakes and insects, making people prone to sickness.
At its core, the Dragon Boat Festival is a national public health observance. Hanging mugwort bundles, drinking realgar wine and bathing in orchid-infused water all serve to repel pests and prevent illnesses.
Therefore, wishing you peace and health is the most sincere blessing of all.
As the Dragon Boat Festival draws near, our customer service team constantly receives enquiries like these:
- “Can I send rice dumplings to my client in Ukraine?”
- “I’m sending a gift box with food items to my friend studying in Europe — will it clear customs?”
- “How can I ship Dragon Boat Festival gifts overseas quickly and safely?”
If you plan to send festive gifts to relatives or clients abroad, here is essential guidance on cross-border shipping of holiday presents:
Q1: Can rice dumplings be shipped overseas?
Answer: It depends on the type.
✅ Vacuum-sealed commercial rice dumplings (accepted in select countries):
Fully sterilized, individually vacuum-packed dumplings without meat or egg yolk fillings can generally pass customs, provided packaging remains intact with no leakage.
Important Reminder:
EU countries including Germany, France and Spain enforce strict regulations on meat products. Customs authorities in Australia, New Zealand and the United States also deploy quarantine sniffer dogs. Do not attempt to sneak meat-containing dumplings into shipments.
Q2: Apart from rice dumplings, what other Dragon Boat Festival gifts can I send?
- Tea (Dragon Boat Festival herbal tea): ✅ Highly recommended. Sealed black, green and oolong tea shipments rarely face customs delays.
- Five-colour silk bracelets and silk scarves: ✅ No shipping restrictions, ideal small complimentary gifts.
- Chinese-style cultural gift sets: ✅ Fully compliant, including notebooks, figurines and folding fans decorated with rice dumpling motifs.
Q3: Which logistics service to choose for premium gift boxes for overseas clients?
- Prioritize fast transit: Opt for the four major global express carriers (cold chain shipping is available but comes with extremely high costs).
- Prioritize cost-performance: Choose dedicated international air freight lines such as Meest’s dedicated routes, which offer moderate pricing and full shipment tracking.
