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DüanWûJiéTheDragonBoatFestivalisoneofthemajorChineseFestivals.Itfallsonthefifthdayofthefifthlunarmonth,orDoublefifthDay.Accordingtolegend,anofficialnamedQuYuanonceservedasMinistertotheZhouEmperor.Hewasapoetandwisemanandverymuchlovedbythecommonpeople.WhenhefellintodisfavorwiththeEmperorbecauseofcorruptioninthecourttheemperorhadhimexiled.HefellintodespairandthrewhimselfintotheMiloRiveranddrowned.Thefishermenrushedoutinlongboats,beatingdrumstoscarethefishaway.TheythrewzongziintothewatertofeedthefishandwaterdragonssotheywouldnoteatQuYuan’sbody.Azongziisaglutinousricedumplingwithafilling,wrappedinbambooleaves.粽子zòngziThefillingcanbeegg,beans,dates,sweetpotatoes,walnuts,mushrooms,meatorcombinationofthese.Theyareusuallysteamed.StartingfromthattimetothisdaypeoplecommemorateQuYuanthroughDragonBoatRacesandeatingzongzi.Thedragonboatracesarethemostexcitingpartofthefestival.Thedragonboatsarebrightlypaintedanddecoratedcanoes.Theyarefrom40–100feetlong.Theheadsareshapedlikedragons.Thesternsendwithascalytail.Adrummerandflag-catchersitatthefrontoftheboat.Beforethedragonboatentersthecompetitionitmustbe“broughttolife”bypaintingtheeyesinascaredceremony.Upto80rowersmaypowertheboat,dependingonitslength.Thewinneroftheraceisthefirstteamtograbaflagattheendofthecourse.AnnualracestakeplacealloverChina,HongKong,Macao,TaiwanandincommunitieswhereverChineselive.