Awakening the Dragon, The Dragon Boat Festival

Informational book, 24 pages. Explore the origins of this traditional Chinese festival honoring a famous poet, Qu Yuan. The illustrations are stunning. Published in 2004 by Tundra Books.

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Summer Celebrations

The Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth month in the lunar calendar because it is considered an evil or unlucky day.  Customs to protect against misfortune include eating rice dumplings, hanging fragrant herbs above doorways and wear bracelets of five-colored threads or hair ribbons as "threads of long life." The Dragon boat races are usually held in May or June, but the races in my part of the world will take place in September this year due to the pandemic.  But there are many ways to celebrate at home:

• Build a paper Dragon Boat at Little Passport
  
• Make rice dumplings with the FortuneCookieMom
  
• Fold a xiang boa (perfumed pouch) to wear
  

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Arlene Chan & Song Nan Zhang

Chan is a Chinese Canadian historian, activist, athlete and author. Her writing focuses on the Chinese Canadian diaspora, their traditions, celebrations, and lived experiences. She has competed internationally in Dragon boat races from 2000 to 2016 - her teams won multiple Gold Medals.

Zhang grew up in Communist China and emigrated to Canada in 1989. A fine artist who works primarily in oils, Zhang earned respect as a writer and illustrator with his first book for children, A Little Tiger in the Chinese Night: An Autobiography in Art.

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