Vase with Scene from the Dragon Boat Festival
Held on the fifth day of the fifth month, the Dragon Boat festival is celebrated with eating rice dumplings, drinking wine, and—as can be seen in the painting on this vase—racing dragon boats. This festival is said to commemorate the death of the poet Qu Yuan (ca. 340–278 B.C.) who, on the day in question, committed suicide in his despair over a political situation.
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