Various activities are being held throughout China as people celebrate Dragon Boat Festival, or Duanwu Festival – an occasion to commemorate the death of Chinese poet and politician Qu Yuan (340-278 BC).

Dragon boat racing is one of the most popular traditions during the festival, dating back 2,000 years. Races have taken place in cities, including Jiaxing, Yueyang and Tianjin, with crew members rowing in boats that feature dragon heads and tails.

Nowadays, the races have become an annual sports gala of fun and excitement, attracting contestants from home and abroad.

Meanwhile, people marked the traditional festival by making the signature food – glutinous rice dumplings, also known as zongzi. The dish is made of sticky rice stuffed with various fillings and wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves.

Read more: What traditional foods are there besides 'zongzi'?

Making perfume sachets is another popular custom. Chinese herbal medicines are usually wrapped in cloth and sometimes embroidered with exquisite patterns. Colorful strings are then attached to the sachet as decorative tassels. Traditionally, children would wear those to ward off evil spirits and insects.

Read more: A traditional health token from ancient times

Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese lunar calendar. It falls on June 14 this year.

(With input from agencies)

(Cover: People take part in dragon boat races in Jiaxing City, east China's Zhejiang Province, June 12, 2021. /CFP)