HAIKOU /China, June 24. /TASS/. The resort city of Sanya on the southern coast of Hainan Island organized a series of large-scale events focusing on traditional folk culture during the nationwide holiday on the occasion of China's Dragon Boat Festival (also known as Duanwu Festival). This was reported by the Sanya Daily newspaper.

This year, Duanwu Jie, celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar, fell on June 22. The entire population of the People's Republic of China is officially on holiday on June 22-24. These days Hainan traditionally attracts many tourists from all over the country.

Part of the activities during the Dragon Boat Festival in Sanya were held on the beaches. Tens of thousands of tourists gathered on the seashore to "take a dip in the dragon waters." Authorities organized public competitions, the winners of which received all sorts of prizes.

Many of the visitors went to nearby natural hills, which are covered with dense tropical forests. Local travel agencies noted it was much cooler there than in the lowlands and offered a great view of the South China Sea.

Traditionally, the celebration of Duanwu Jie could not do without zongzi, a traditional dish of sticky rice with meat, beans and other fillings. All this is wrapped in bamboo or cane leaves, which give the dish a special flavor. This year, Sanya offered both the southern version (with a brackish flavor) and the northern version (with a sweet flavor).

The Dragon Boat Festival in China dates back more than 2,000 years. Duanwu Jie is celebrated in memory of China's patriot Qu Yuan (340-278 BC), considered the father of Chinese poetry, who committed suicide. The body of this noble aristocrat was never found, but people saw a dragon, a legendary creature symbolizing power and justice, rise from the water above the site of his death. Every year, on the day of his death, people all over the country gather on the banks of bodies of water and race in long boats with the bow and stern depicted in the shape of a dragon's head and tail.