Dear Customers and Partners,
As we approach the Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu Festival), we would like to inform you that NewgenPLC will be closed from Friday, May 30 to Sunday, June 1, 2025, in observance of this traditional Chinese holiday. We will resume normal operations on Monday, June 2, 2025.
Please plan your inquiries and orders accordingly. For urgent matters, you may still reach us through our email channels, and we will respond as soon as possible after the holiday.
What Is the Dragon Boat Festival?
Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu Jie (端午节), is one of China’s most important traditional holidays. Celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, it usually falls in late May or early June—this year on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
It is one of the four major Chinese festivals, alongside Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, and Mid-Autumn Festival. This holiday is widely observed not only in mainland China but also in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Taiwan, where it’s often referred to as the “Dumpling Festival” (Bak Chang Festival).
Origins and Cultural Significance
The Dragon Boat Festival is popularly linked to Qu Yuan (340–278 BC), a patriotic poet and statesman of the Warring States Period. According to legend, Qu Yuan drowned himself in a river after being exiled for his political beliefs. Locals raced out in boats to search for his body and threw rice dumplings into the water to keep fish away—thus inspiring today’s dragon boat races and zongzi (sticky rice dumplings).
However, the festival predates Qu Yuan and originally served as a way to ward off disease and drive out evil spirits during the hot, pest-ridden early summer—a time traditionally viewed as dangerous.
How People Celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival
1. Dragon Boat Races
The most vibrant tradition of the festival, dragon boat races feature long, ornately decorated boats paddled in unison to the beat of drums. These races symbolize both the search for Qu Yuan and ancient rituals to appease river deities. Major races are held in cities like Guangzhou, Hangzhou, and Hong Kong.
2. Eating Zongzi
Zongzi (粽子) are pyramid-shaped glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves and filled with sweet or savory ingredients like meat, beans, or dates. Originally tossed into rivers in Qu Yuan’s honor, today they are a beloved festive food exchanged among friends and family.
3. Hanging Mugwort and Calamus
Homes are decorated with mugwort and calamus, medicinal plants believed to repel insects, cleanse the air, and drive away evil spirits. These herbs are hung on doors and windows during the festival to promote health and well-being.
4. Drinking Realgar Wine
Traditionally consumed to prevent disease and ward off evil, realgar wine is a unique Chinese beverage made from fermented grains and powdered realgar (an arsenic-based mineral). Although not widely practiced today, it remains a symbolic ritual of the holiday.
5. Wearing Perfume Pouches
Children often wear fragrant sachets filled with herbs or perfumes, tied with colorful threads and worn around the neck. These pouches are believed to protect against evil and are cherished as charming holiday keepsakes.
Wishing You a Joyous Dragon Boat Festival!
At NewgenPLC, we deeply respect the cultural traditions that enrich our communities. We wish all our customers, partners, and friends a safe and joyful Dragon Boat Festival. May your holiday be filled with good health, happiness, and family togetherness.
Thank you for your continued support!
– The NewgenPLC Team
www.newgenplc.com