Dragon Boat Festival Culture Festival

The Yichang Dragon Boat Festival Culture Festival, officially named the "Qu Yuan's Hometown Dragon Boat Culture Festival," is China's only national-level dragon boat festival cultural event jointly hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China and the People's Government of Hubei Province . Its permanent venue is located in Zigui County, Yichang City, Hubei Province — the hometown of Qu Yuan . This festival is far more than an ordinary folk event; it is a national-level cultural celebration that uses the Dragon Boat Festival as a vehicle to pay deep tribute to Qu Yuan, promote the spirit of patriotism, and comprehensively showcase the rich traditional Chinese culture of the Yangtze River basin and beyond. Its main venue is the Qu Yuan's Hometown Cultural Tourism Zone in Zigui County . The festival activities typically reach their climax around the date of the Dragon Boat Festival (on the lunar calendar) and last for about a month, immersing the entire Yichang region in a rich festive atmosphere.

The essence of the festival lies in a series of grand and rich activities: The solemn and respectful Grand Sacrificial Ceremony to Qu Yuan and the "Sao Tan" (Poetry Altar) poetry recitation directly inherit a thousand-year-old literary tradition, expressing deep remembrance of the poetic spirit . The International Dragon Boat Invitational Race, held at Xujiachong Harbor on a tributary of the Yangtze River, features thundering drums and a hundred boats contending in a vivid and dynamic display of the festival's most vibrant totem . Meanwhile, folk experience activities such as making zongzi (rice dumplings), weaving five-colored silk threads, and hanging mugwort, along with spectacular intangible cultural heritage performances, make the traditional culture tangible, and participatory. In recent years, the festival has also integrated modern elements such as cultural and creative markets, academic forums, and nighttime light shows, promoting a deep integration of culture and tourism and attracting a large number of domestic and international tourists. Therefore, the Yichang Dragon Boat Festival Culture Festival is not only a venue to commemorate Qu Yuan and celebrate the traditional holiday but has also become a comprehensive brand platform for demonstrating cultural confidence, promoting exchange and mutual learning, and driving regional development.

The English version is for reference only. If there are differences between the English version and the Chinese version, the Chinese version shall prevail.
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Source: Management Committee of Yichang Three Gorges Tourist Resort Zone