With over 657 million cross-region trips projected nationwide, China’s recently concluded three-day Dragon Boat Festival was more than just a celebration of tradition—it was a dynamic force boosting tourism and consumption across the country.
From Drums to Zongzi: A Festival Reimagined
In Beijing’s Tongzhou District, the 2025 Grand Canal Dragon Boat Carnival brought the festive spirit to life. Thirty-two teams from Beijing, Hebei, and Guangdong raced through the canal’s waters, thrilling crowds with synchronized paddling and rhythmic drumbeats.
The Lingnan team from southern China’s Guangdong Province dazzled spectators with jaw-dropping dragon boat drifting skills, including sharp-angle turns and 360-degree spins that left audiences cheering along the banks. The carnival also featured unique contests like dragon boat tug-of-war, paddle board races, and arm-wrestling championships.
Online, people couldn’t resist poking fun at the regional differences in Dragon Boat Festival traditions. In the north, dragon boat races often end with crew members falling into the water, while in the south, races are fast-paced and precisely synchronized. Jokes circulated that northern races are more about “keeping Qu Yuan company,” while southern ones are full-blown rescue missions.
Zongzi Gets a Flavorful Upgrade
According to legend, Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet and official from the Warring States period (475-221 BC), drowned himself after the fall of his capital. People raced in boats to recover his body and threw zongzi—sticky rice parcels—into the river to keep fish away.
This year, zongzi got a flavorful upgrade. In Chengdu’s Jinniu District, vendors lined Maan East Road not only with classic pork and egg yolk varieties but also quirky new flavors like chocolate and pineapple. One giant zongzi stuffed with slabs of pork belly and seven salted duck eggs, each weighing up to 1.5 kilograms, became a crowd favorite. A vendor shared that it was a family-size zongzi, and sharing it brings people together.
Some zongzi businesses are taking the festival global. A company from eastern China’s Zhejiang Province partnered with Chinese students at Oxford University to host a “Dragon Boat Culture Day,” live-streaming dumpling-making tutorials and exploring cultural traditions.
“We want to show the craftsmanship behind zongzi, traceable ingredients, and the story behind the festival,” said Shen Qian, a manager at the company. This year, the company’s zongzi were exported to supermarkets and e-commerce platforms in Cambodia, Singapore, South Korea, and even Canada, proving especially popular in South Korea.
Tourism Gets a Cultural Makeover
The tourism sector saw a major boost during the holiday. According to a report by Fliggy, one of China’s online travel platforms, interest in traditional experiences like dragon boat races and zongzi workshops jumped 105 percent compared to last year.
The overlap with Children’s Day added to the momentum, with parent-child travel demand rising nearly 20 percent. Bookings for theme park tickets surged over 100 percent, while hotel packages and camping trips also saw record increases.
These trends highlight a shift in Chinese travelers’ expectations, from sightseeing to immersive experiences. Scenic spots are adapting fast. At Yuntai Mountain in Henan Province, once reliant on ticket sales, tourism has evolved into a cultural experience. Visitors can now learn to make Jiaotai porcelain, a Tang Dynasty-era craft, alongside local masters. The resulting souvenirs like mugs, teacups, and car accessories are bringing both awareness and jobs to surrounding villages.
Adventure seekers can also enjoy paddle boarding, cliffside rail climbing, and jungle roller coasters, thanks to the site’s dramatic terrain. Since 2017, Yuntai Mountain has operated three-day ticket validity to encourage longer stays. And since 2019, local authorities have upgraded nearby homestays into full-service rural resorts, some offering fruit-picking, handicraft workshops, and stargazing camps.
According to Li Shipeng, Party secretary of Yuntai Mountain Township, the region’s main service hub, Anshang Town, now brings in over 50 million yuan (about $6.9 million) annually and supports more than 700 local jobs. The booming homestay industry has pushed the township’s per capita rural income above 62,000 yuan a year.
