Miao Dragon Boat Festival

Name : Dragon Boat Festival for the Miao people
Date : between the 24th and 27th of the fifth lunar month
The Miao ethnic group has a population of 8. 9401 million according to the fifth national census carried in 2000. They are mainly scattered in Gu izhou, Hunan, Yunnan, Sichuan Guangxi, Hubei and Hainan.
The Miao people have their own language that belongs to the Miao-Yao group of the Sino-Tibetan language family. They used to believe in many gods and worship their ancestors and nature's power. In their belief, gods or evil ghosts possess irresistible power and they need gods and their ancestors' blessings so as to get fortune and children, expel evil spirits and get rid of diseases. The Han people celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month every year to honor the memory of the patriotic poet Qu Yuan. However, the Miao Dragon Boat Festival, held later in the same month, has its own origin.