Importers mark your calendars – on Tuesday 30th March, China will be celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival (also known as Tuen Ng, Duanwu Festival or Zhongxiao Festival). This means that for a few days, your suppliers may be out of commission and, at the very worst, you may face a few delays. However, if you’re importing using us here at Shippo, you don’t need to worry – we’re aware of this holiday and we’ve made all the necessary preparations to make sure that the impact on your shipment is minimal, if at all.
More Information About The Dragon Boat Festival
The date of the Dragon Boar Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the traditional Chinese Calendar; as the traditional calendar is different to the calendar we use (we use the Gregorian calendar as opposed to a lunisolar calendar) the date of the festival changes every year. In 2017, the festival falls on May 30. China will have 3 days of holiday from Sunday 28th May to Tuesday 30th May, and we will be back at work on Wednesday, May 31.
Although there are many different ideas about where the Dragon Boat Festival originated from, the general consensus is that Dragon Boat festival is a celebration of patriotic ancient poet Qu Yuan. When the poet drowned himself in the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, locals were said to have raced their boats to search for him and, in order to prevent fish from feeding on his body, they dropped rice in the water. In commemoration of this, dragon-boat racing is a ceremonial activity that is partaken during the festival. In fact, dragon-boat racing is now so popular that it’s become an international sport!
Another popular custom that the Chinese participate in to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival is to eat Zongzi. On the morning of the festival, families will eat Zongzi in tribute to Qu Yuan. This rice treat is usually prepared a day before the festival.
This is what Zongzi looks like. Source linked.
Although a fun festival filled with exciting cultural activities, the Dragon Boat festival isn’t too disruptive to the importing calendar. As we’ve mentioned above, we’ve already factored China’s 3-day down-time into our plans, so any shipments through our service shouldn’t be affected. If you’re concerned about this festival or want a shipment update, feel free to contact us for more information.
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