Explainer: Customs and celebrations of China's Dragon Boat Festival

The Dragon Boat Festival, or Duanwu, falls on May 31 this year. With a history dating back more than 2,000 years, the festival commemorates the death of Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet who lived during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC). Carrying the nation's reverence for a patriotic figure around the world, the Dragon Boat Festival has been passed down through generations in China and has even crossed borders. In 2009, it became the first Chinese festival to be inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list, cementing its place among China's four major traditional festivals.

Apart from eating zongzi and watching dragon boat races, a range of traditional customs are associated with the festival. CGTN's Wang Mengjie breaks down its unique customs and evolving celebrations.