the dragon boat festival is one of three major chinese holidays, along with the spring and moon festivals. of the three, it is possibly the oldest, dating back to the warring states period in 227 b.c. the festival commemorates qu yuan, a minister in the service of the chu emperor. despairing over corruption at court, qu threw himself into a river. townspeople jumped into their boats and tried in vain to save him. then, hoping to distract hungry fish from his body, the people scattered rice on the water.
　　
　　端午節(jié)與春節(jié)和中秋節(jié)并列為中國三大節(jié)日。這三個節(jié)日中，它可能是最古老的一個，可以追溯到公元前227年的戰(zhàn)國時代。這個節(jié)日是為了紀(jì)念楚國的大夫屈原，他因為對朝廷的貪污****感到絕望而投河自盡。鎮(zhèn)上的人紛紛沖上船去救他，卻沒有成功。后來大家把米撒到水里，希望把饑餓的魚群從他的軀體邊引開。