Taipei Dragon Boat Festival
Races, rituals, and zongzi hit the city
The Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month and commemorates the ancient poet Qu Yuan.
It’s a major public holiday across the Chinese-speaking world, marked by a mix of high-energy races and smaller, often quirkier traditions, from balancing eggs for good luck to eating zongzi, sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves.
Across Taiwan, rivers come alive with dragon boat races, where crews power their way down the water to the beat of drums. In Taipei, the main event is held at Dajia Riverside Park, drawing crowds who line the banks.
But it’s not just about the racing. The event doubles as a riverside festival, with food stalls, pop-up markets, and a steady rotation of stage performances running throughout the day.
It’s not all spectating either, with traditional activities like egg balancing giving people something to do between races.
Teams train for months, and the level of competition can be intense. It's worth heading down to enjoy the loud, crowded, and chaotic atmosphere. Be sure to bring some zongzi with you to snack on — it's tradition to eat the sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves.
