Dragon boat races, lion dances, and family rituals played out across mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan on Friday, as celebrations tied to ancient health and protection beliefs moved into a busy 2026 weekend schedule in Beijing.
On Friday morning, the paddles started beating in unison—then kept going until the boats surged toward the finish line. In Hong Kong. spectators packed in for the Aberdeen Dragon Boat Race. where crews moved to the thunderous rhythm of their drummers and contestants wore costumes as colorful as the festival itself.
The Dragon Boat Festival—celebrated across mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan—has been marked for more than 2,000 years. It’s widely known for sporting events, but its origins are rooted in ancient beliefs about health, protection, and harmony with nature.
In Beijing. retired resident Meng Dongmei watched the festival with the kind of certainty that comes from repeating the same rituals for years. In Tongzhou district, her family prepared zongzi, the sticky rice dumplings associated with the holiday. Children in her household wore five-colored bracelets believed to ward off evil.
“We also learned online about a traditional recipe using mugwort leaves, red dates, brown sugar and ginger to boil eggs,” Meng said. “We heard that it could help ward off illness and keep people healthy throughout the year, so we hope that through this festival our family will enjoy good health.”
Beijing’s celebrations didn’t end with Friday. The capital’s Dragon Boat Festival festivities continued through the weekend at the Grand Canal. a three-day run built around men’s. women’s and mixed dragon boat races over distances of 100. 200 and 500 meters. Teams from Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi and Guangdong were scheduled to compete throughout the holiday weekend.
Organizers said more than 1,000 athletes and 200,000 spectators are expected to gather for the event. Li Maoshan. a participant in Friday’s races. described the competition in terms of effort and discipline—saying. “It also gave us an opportunity to demonstrate the spirit of perseverance and hard work.”.
Between the heats, Beijing’s festival offered cultural performances meant to travel beyond the water. Organizers highlighted demonstrations of Wing Chun martial arts. a market featuring traditional handicrafts. and a performance in which dancers mimic the movements of a lion. Officials said the programming was intended to highlight cultural exchanges between northern and southern China.
The lion dance on Friday was presented by a group of performers from Guangdong province in southern China. Its founder. He Weihong. said. “Wherever there is a festive occasion. you’ll find dragon and lion dances. ” adding. “Dragon boat racing and dragon-and-lion dancing are inseparable. as they are both part of our intangible cultural heritage.”.
The story behind the holiday goes far deeper than any race schedule. The festival is widely associated with the ancient poet Qu Yuan. who. according to legend. drowned himself more than 2. 000 years ago. Tradition says people raced out in boats to search for him and threw rice into the river so fish would not eat his body. That legend is often linked to both today’s dragon boat races and the zongzi families still prepare across China.
Tsinghua University history professor Liu Xiaofeng described the festival as broad in its traditions and tied to the turning of the seasons. “The Dragon Boat Festival is probably the richest and most diverse of all traditional Chinese festivals. ” he said. explaining that across different regions. people developed traditions based on ideas connected to the summer solstice and the balance of yin and yang.
The holiday falls in the fifth month of the traditional Chinese lunar calendar, around the time of the summer solstice. Ancient Chinese viewed that period as a time when insects. poisonous creatures and disease could become more prevalent. which helped give rise to a wide range of customs aimed at preserving health and warding off misfortune.
“At its core, the Dragon Boat Festival is about disease prevention, warding off evil and maintaining health,” Liu said.
Some people wear sachets containing medicinal herbs during the festival, and others fumigate their homes with smoke—practices intended, according to their beliefs, to prevent disease by driving out things considered harmful.
Liu also connected those rituals to a larger emotional logic of the festival season. saying. “Chinese people have traditionally placed a special emphasis on happiness. well-being and living in peace and safety. ” and adding. “Nearly all of China’s major festivals are connected in some way to these aspirations.”.
Still, the way people celebrate has shifted as daily life has changed. Liu said that when traditions once centered on rural community celebrations. they have had to adapt as living patterns moved toward cities. “Today more than 64% of China’s population lives in urban areas and people’s lifestyles have been transformed,” he said. “In a large city, it’s difficult to celebrate the festival the way people once did in rural communities. Festivals evolve along with the times.”.
For Bao Nari. a Beijing resident who spent years away from home while she studied in Japan. the difference was personal. She said boat races were not part of her childhood celebrations. but other long-standing Dragon Boat Festival traditions—like wearing five-colored bracelets—were passed down through her family.
“After coming back, I’m impressed by how much cultural development has progressed here,” Bao said. “This cultural heritage has become deeply rooted in our hearts and it inspires our generation to be more confident.”
On Friday. even that blending of old and new could be seen in details: in Hong Kong. participants in dragon boat races wore costumes including a cartoon version of Chinese Taoist deity Ne Zha. At home. others watched the races and ate zongzi with their families—small. familiar acts that keep the holiday’s focus on health. protection and seasonal balance alive. even as crowds gather and schedules stretch into a weekend.
Dragon Boat Festival dragon boat races zongzi five-colored bracelets Qu Yuan Tongzhou district Grand Canal Wing Chun lion dance Beijing 2026