Taiwan Dragon Boat Festival 端午節划龍舟比賽

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The Dragon Boat Festival (aka Double Fifth Festival) is a special time of year, during which Taiwan gets a major holiday vacation and there are Dragon Boat Races. During this time, people also must eat Zongzi. We have created this guide for you to see the official dragon boat races all around Taiwan and understand more about this special cultural festival.

Historical Background:
Originally Dragon Boat Festival may have started during the Qin Dynasty as a day to remove evil spirits and bad luck that were thought to appear on the fifth day of the fifth month.
The best known origin story for the Dragon Boast Festival is that it commemorates the death of Qu Yuan, a famous poet and official  of the Chu Dynasty during the Warring States Period. He opposed the Chu Dynasty joining an alliance with the Qin, and therefore was banished. When the Qin Dynasty finally took over the Chu Dynasty, he committed suicide by entering the Miluo River (汨羅江 Mìluójiāng) and drowning himself.
It was said that the local people went looking for him by rowing dragon shaped canoes, and threw sticky rice balls into the water so that the fish would eat the rice and not Qu Yuan's body. Because of this, during Dragon Boat Festival everyone eats stick rice, or Zongzi, and holds dragon boat races to commemorate Qu Yuan's memory. 
Another tradition is for people to balance eggs, which is thought to bring good luck during the "unlucky" holiday. 
Dragon Boat races usually involve a team rowing together, while someone beats a drum to keep rhythm and someone else stands at the front of the boat to catch the flag. 
Dragon Boat Festival is an official holiday in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, China, and is celebrated by Chinese heritage communities throughout Asia and the world. 

When is Dragon Boat Festival?
The fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar. 
2020: June 25th 
2021: June 14th
2022: June 3rd
2023: June 22nd
2024: June 10th 
2025: May 31st 

When are Dragon Boat Races in Taiwan?
Training starts about a month before Dragon Boat Festival
The actual races begin a few days before or on Dragon Boat Festival, and can last a few days after as well. Races usually last the whole day. 

Where are Dragon Boat Races in Taiwan?

Taipei International Dragon Boat Championships: 國際龍舟錦標賽
Dates: (June 25-June 26 2020)
Location: Dajie Riverside Park 大佳河濱公園 (under Dazhi Bridge going to Neihu near the airport along the Keelung River. There is parking at the riverside park, but it can get very crowded late in the day).

Tainan International Dragon Boat Championships: 台南市國際龍舟賽 (June 23-June 25)
Dates: (June 25-June 26 2020)
Location: Yunhe River in Tainan Between Anyi Bridge and Chengtian Bridge, near Anping Old Street 臺南市運河（安億橋至承天橋河段）

Kaohsiung Love River Dragon Boat Festival: 高雄愛河端午龍舟嘉年華
Dates: (Cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19)
Location: The Love River between Kaohsiung Bridge and Zhongzheng Bridge (愛河， 高雄橋-中正橋).

Changhua Taiwan International  Dragon Boat Races 台灣國際競技龍舟錦標賽 
Dates:(Cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19)
Location: Lukang, along the FuLu River near Lukang Old Street (彰化福鹿溪水域)

Yunlin Dragon Boat Races  雲林龍舟賽
Dates: (June 25-June 26)
Location: Kouhu Township, Yiwu Wet Pond at the north pond (本縣口湖鄉宜梧滯洪池北池)Price:
Free

Map:
Please see below for a map of dragon boat racing locations.

Our Experience:

I have been to see the dragon boat races in Taiwan three times: once in Tainan, once in Kaohsiung, and once in Taipei. I have pictures from all three, but I took the most pictures at the Taipei festival. Trust me, the dragon boat races are pretty much the same wherever you go in Taiwan. There is racing in a river and on the side there is a market selling trinkets and snacks for the spectators. 

Taipei International Dragon Boat Championships: 國際龍舟錦標賽

Last year I went to the Dajie Riverside Park 大佳河濱公園 (under Dazhi Bridge going to Neihu near the airport along the Keelung River) for the Taipei Dragon Boat festival. There is parking at the riverside park, but it can get very crowded late in the day.

The Taipei Dragon Boat races are definitely the biggest in Taiwan, bigger than I remember for Tainan or Kaohsiung. Probably because more people live in Taipei. 

Under the bridge there were a ton of stalls from public and private agencies. Some were giving out free stuff which is why there were huge lines. 

Tons of people on the bleachers next to the Keelung River. 

Last year Garmin had their own dragon boat team.

The races started under the Dazhi bridge and went about 500 meters downriver.

Races started off about three at a time.

There is a drummer to keep pace and someone at the front to grab the flag. 

Another view of the racers at 400 meters.

The winner grabs the flag at about 500 M.

The winners proudly holding up their flag under the shadow of the Yuanshan Grand Hotel. 

A boat filled with what seems are mostly foreigners. 

Near the bleachers there were more tents in an open area.

There was a taco truck and some DIY places.

Also there were quite a few pizza places set up.

I got myself some cheap flavored ice; it was a hot day.

There were also water fountains out in the open (in the shape of the word Taipei) which you rarely see in Taiwan.

There was also a blow up bouncy castle and ball bit for kids. Lots of people came and it was lots of fun. 

​Tainan International Dragon Boat Championships: 台南市國際龍舟賽 

The first dragon boat races I saw were in 2014 in Tainan on the Yunhe River in Tainan Between Anyi Bridge and Chengtian Bridge, near Anping Old Street. It was really hot that day, but there were stalls and a market next to the river that sold some refreshing drinks.

It seemed like most of the contestants here were also foreigners and they beat out the poor Taiwanese contestants. It was fun to watch.

​Kaohsiung Love River Dragon Boat Festival: 高雄愛河端午龍舟嘉年華

I have also been to the Love River Dragon Boat Races, which are held between Kaohsiung Bridge and Zhongzheng Bridge in downtown Kaohsiung. These races were cool because at night the boats lit up with LEDs. It was pretty fun to watch. There were also a ton of people and a ton of stalls selling food and random stuff all around.

In general, watching dragon boat races is a lot of fun and there is always good food nearby. I highly recommend it.

Zongzi (粽子): A dragon boat festival tradition

The difference between northern zongzi 北部粽 (right) and Southern zongzi 南部粽 (left) is southern is boiled while northern is steamed, and southern has peanuts in it. Also southern ones are stickier. This is how it was explained to me by the Zongzi Laoban. 
However, both types of Zongzi in Taiwan have hard boiled egg, pork, mushroom, and sometimes nuts.

As explained above, Zongzi is eaten to remember the famous poet Quyuan. It was said that the local people went looking for him by rowing dragon shaped canoes, and threw sticky rice balls into the water so that the fish would eat the rice and not Qu Yuan's body. Because of this, during Dragon Boat Festival everyone eats stick rice, or Zongzi, and holds dragon boat races to commemorate Qu Yuan's memory. 

Some really traditional people like to make Zongzi by hand. This is a really laborsome process, and involves finding big enough bamboo leaves, buying glutinous rice (糯米) and all the ingredients, tying them up and them steaming them. This can be a fun activity if you have some Taiwanese friends that are into that kind of thing. 

More delicious Zongzi.

Zongzi is the best. You have to try some, especially with some sweet and sour sauce.

Thanks for reading and be sure to check out more of our posts about Taiwanese culture in the future!

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