Home : China Guide : Guizhou : Dragon Boat Festival
Held on the Qingshui River between the 24th and 27th of the fifth lunar month, this festival is worthwhile seeing. The Miao come from Taijiang, Zhenyuan and Shibing to take part in the festival. The origin of this festival is explained by the folk story of a dragon that swallowed a fisherman's son. Guya, the fisherman, retaliated and burnt the dragon's home. The fire burned for nine days and finally people celebrated the fisherman's victory by eating the dragon meat. Five villages in the area received different parts of the dragon's anatomy.
 Each of these villages now holds a dragon festival on a different day to celebrate his destruction. A 17-metre boat and two 10-metre boats are constructed from fir, each with a carved dragon's head on its prow. The boats are launched and over 40 rows drink fiery spirits. They row to village where pleas are made to the dragon to bestow happiness on each community. Pigs, goats, ducks and geese are presented to the crew and headman. Families gather on the bank to eat and gossip and in the evenings the young people sing to each other.
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