The Dragon Boat Festival is one of the three major festivals in Taiwan. It takes place on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar, which falls on June 12 this year.
During this period of time, dragon boat races are held around Taiwan to commemorate Qu Yuan, a Chinese poet and minister in the state of Chu during the Warring States Period more than 2,000 years ago.
When the state of Qin conquered Chu, the poet committed suicide in despair. He drowned himself in a river and legend has it that a crowd gathered and beat the water with paddles to keep fish from eating Qu's body - the origin of today's dragon boat races.