What is Dragon Boat Festival?

This festival is probably the 3rd biggest festival in Ch$na. Most places are closed June 14-16 to celebrate. It is the reason our airline ticket prices almost doubled during the time frame we are traveling. The legend of the festival goes like this...a man who was a wise advisor to the emperor was accused of treachery when he was a loyal, faithful man. In shame, he threw himself in the river and drowned. The local fisherman tried to rescue his body by throwing in cooked rice. Another version says that they threw in the cooked rice so the fish would not eat his body. Pictures below show the boat races that go on during this festival at different rivers. The food shown below that is the cooked rice with a bean curd and a "boat" wrapped around it. This food is served during the festival.

We will arrive in the middle of this festival...so I don't know if we will get to participate or observe anything. So, I guess that is the Ch*na factoid of the day:O) 6 days and counting!!!