This past weekend marked the traditional Dragon Boat Festival or Duan Wu Jie. People across China sent gifts to people in the earthquake ravaged Sichuan Province, to help them enjoy the festival too.
Seen here people practice paddling before a Dragon Boat Race on the West Lake of Fuzhou, East China Fujian Province. Xinhua Photo
People usually enjoy zongzi, drink wine and race Dragon Boats. China Dragon Boat Festival revives a tradition and lived up to it's promise of being a feast for the senses a cacophony of sound, a blaze of color, tastes and smells to excite.
When fortune is good you rule over the devils goes the old saying, when fortune is bad, they rule over you. In China, the Lunar 5th month designated the evil month was believed to be a month when evil spirits ruled over unfortunate humans. It was a time of hot, balmy weather which helped top spread infectious diseases, it was believed to be the five God's of Plague. After a deadly plague, it was believed that the Dragon Boat races held during the festival would amuse the River Dragon and protect them from it's scourge.
