Dragon Boat Festival: Races, Rice Dumplings, and Ancient Patriotism

Every summer, something exciting happens on rivers and lakes across China — and increasingly, around the world. Long wooden boats carved with dragon heads slice through the water, drums thundering from deck to deck as teams race to the finish line. Meanwhile, in kitchens across the country, families wrap sticky rice in bamboo leaves, steaming it into the triangular dumplings known as zongzi. This is the Dragon Boat Festival, one of China’s most beloved traditional holidays, and it carries a story that stretches back over two thousand years.