BEIJING (AP) — Dragon boat races, lion dances and other festivities marked the Dragon Boat Festival on Friday across mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The more than 2,000-year-old holiday is best known for its sporting events, but its origins are rooted in ancient beliefs about health, protection and harmony with nature.
"The fact that this holiday has been preserved for thousands of years shows how much we value our traditional customs," said Meng Dongmei, a retired resident of Beijing's Tongzhou district.
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Meng said her family observes the holiday through a variety of traditional customs. They prepare zongzi, the sticky rice dumplings associated with the festival, and children wear five-colored bracelets believed to ward off evil.
"We also learned online about a traditional recipe using mugwort leaves, red dates, brown sugar and ginger to boil eggs," Meng said. "We heard that it could help ward off illness and keep people healthy throughout the year, so we hope that through this festival our family will enjoy good health."
