DragonBoatFestival,oftenknownasTuenNgFestivalorDuanWuFestival,isatraditionalChinesefestivalheldonthefifthdayofthefifthmonthoftheChinesecalendar.ItisalsoknownastheDoubleFifth.[citationneeded]Ithassincebeencelebrated,invariousways,inotherpartsofEastAsiaaswell,mostnotablyKorea.
TheexactoriginsofDuanWuareunclear,butonetraditionalviewholdsthatthefestivalmemorializestheChinesepoetQuYuanoftheWarringStatesPeriod.HecommittedsuicidebydrowninghimselfinariverbecausehewasdisgustedbythecorruptionoftheChugovernment.Thelocalpeople,knowinghimtobeagoodman,decidedtothrowfoodintotherivertofeedthefishestopreventthemfromeatingQu'sbody.Theyalsosatondragonboats,andtriedtoscarethefishesawaybythethunderingsoundofdrumsaboardtheboatandthefiercelookingdragon-headinthefrontoftheboat.
IntheearlyyearsoftheChineseRepublic,DuanWuwasalsocelebratedas"Poets'Day",duetoQuYuan'sstatusasChina'sfirstpoetofpersonalrenown.
Today,peopleeatzongzi(thefoodoriginallyintendedtofeedthefishes)andracedragonboatsinmemoryofQu'sdramaticdeath.
