端午节 Dragon Boat Fest

The Dragon Boat Festival, also called the Duanwu Festival, is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month according to the Chinese calendar. For thousands of years, the festival has been marked by eating zong zi (glutinous ricewrapped to form a pyramid using bamboo or reed leaves) and racing dragon boats.The festival is best known for its dragon-boat races, especially in the southern provinces where there are many rivers and lakes. Thisregattacommemorates the death of Qu Yuan , an honest minister who is said to have committed suicide by drowning himself in a river. The dragon-boat races symbolize the many attempts to rescue and recover Qu"s body. A typical dragon boat ranges from 50-100 feet in length, with a beam of about 5.5 feet, accommodating two paddlers seated side byside.

龙舟节，也叫端午节，是在中国的农历五月初五这一天庆祝。千百年来，吃粽子（用竹叶或芦苇叶把糯米包裹起来，形成一个金字塔）和赛龙舟已经成为这个节日的标志。这个节日最出名的是龙舟赛，尤其是在有很多河流和湖泊的南方省份。这一划船比赛是为了纪念屈原的死，据说他是一位正直的大臣，他是投江自刎的。龙舟赛象征着拯救和恢复屈氏体的许多尝试。一艘典型的龙舟长度达50到100英尺不等，束长约5.5英尺，可容纳两个桨手并排坐。