the dragon boat festival is one of three major chinese holidays, along with the spring and moon festivals. of the three, it is possibly the oldest, dating back to the warring states period in 227 b.c. the festival commemorates qu yuan, a minister in the service of the chu emperor. despairing over corruption at court, qu threw himself into a river. townspeople jumped into their boats and tried in vain to save him. then, hoping to distract hungry fish from his body, the people scattered rice on the water.
端午节与春节和中秋节并列为中国三大节日。这三个节日中，它可能是最古老的一个，可以追溯到公元前227年的战国时代。这个节日是为了纪念楚国的大夫屈原，他因为对朝廷的贪污腐败感到绝望而投河自尽。镇上的人纷纷冲上船去救他，却没有成功。后来大家把米撒到水里，希望把饥饿的鱼群从他的躯体边引开。