Dragon Boat Festival originated in China. Originally, it was a totem festival for the tribes who worshipped dragon totem in Baiyue area (the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the south area). Before the Spring and Autumn Period in Baiyue area, it was customary to hold totem festivals in the form of dragon boat races on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Later, because Qu Yuan, a poet of the State of Chu (now Hubei) in the Warring States period, threw a huge stone into the Miluo River that day, the ruler took the Dragon Boat Festival as a festival to commemorate Qu Yuan in order to establish the label of loyalty to the monarch and patriotism. In some areas, Wu Zixu and Cao E are also commemorated.
Dragon Boat Festival, Spring Festival, Tomb-Sweeping Day and Mid-Autumn Festival are also called the four traditional folk festivals in China. Since ancient times, there have been festivals such as rowing dragon boats and eating zongzi. Since 2008, the Dragon Boat Festival has been listed as a national statutory holiday. In May 2006, the State Council listed it in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list; In September 2009, UNESCO formally considered and approved the inclusion of China Dragon Boat Festival in the world intangible cultural heritage, making it the first festival in China to be selected as the world intangible cultural heritage.