The Dragon Boat Festival（端午节）is the day to remember a Chinese national hero, ①Qu Yuan, who threw himself into the river and died over 2, 000 years ago. Old story has it that people, ② ▲ （为了救屈原）, beat drums to drive fish away, and threw rice dumplings (zongzi) into the river to keep the fish from eating his body.
For thousands of years, people have spent the festival by eating zongzi and holding dragon boat races ③on the fifth day of the fifth lunar（阴历的）month, ④especially in the southern provinces where there are many rivers and lakes.
The dragon boat races ⑤/ʃəu/ that many people want to save Qu's body. Those races are the most exciting part of the festival, with very large crowds of people watching them. The special boats, more than 10 meters long, have colorful "dragon" heads and tails(尾巴), and ⑥/i:ʧ/ boat carries team of 20 or 22 players. Every year dragon boat races take place in southeast Asian countries and some western countries, including America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, so we can also call it "The Double Festival"
Dragon boat races are mostly held in South China because there are more areas there.
What do you think of the future of the dragon boat races?
