Asia Holidays

Dragon Boat Festival in Penang, Malaysia   Duanwu Festival Duanwu or Dragon Boat Festival, a Chinese ritual with over 2000 years of history, began as an event to ward off evil spirits and diseases, which were then very rampant during the summer. This is one version of the many stories on the origins of Dragon Boat Festival. Another version is associated with the patriotic poet Qu Yuan. Zongzi, Xionghuang Wine, and Dragon Boat Race When Qu Yuan drowned himself in the river, the villagers used  zongzi  to distract the fish from eating his body.  Zongzi, a  traditional Chinese food made of glutinous rice stuffed with various fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves is hence, associated with the Dragon Boat Festival. Eating  zongzi  is, therefore, part of the rituals of this festival. Drinking  xionghuang  wine or realgar wine, a Chinese alcoholic drink made with realgar, is another activity associated with this festival. This is believed to turn away evil spirits. However,