 Wang Yuanyuan cheekywang@hotmail.com THE annual Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which this year is Wednesday. For thousands of years, the festival has been marked by eating zongzi — glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves — and racing dragon boats. Many different areas in China will hold grand dragon boat races. The regattas commemorate the death of Qu Yuan, an honest minister who is said to have committed suicide by drowning himself in a river. The dragon boat races symbolize the many attempts to rescue Qu and then to recover his body. A typical dragon boat has a wooden dragon head at its bow and a dragon tail at its stern. During this year’s Dragon Boat Festival, Shenzhen will hold a dragon boat race at the Guanlan Shanshuitianyuan Tourism Culture Garden in Longhua New Area on Wednesday. The preliminary contest will start at 3:30 p.m. and the final race will be held at about 5 p.m. More than 20 teams, formed by companies in the city, are expected to take part in the races. Hakka folk performances and a Hakka-style water wedding ceremony also will be held in the garden Wednesday, and visitors will be able to try various types of hand-made zongzi at a food festival there, as well. Meanwhile, Shenzhen Splendid China • China Folk Culture Villages is holding its Dragon Boat Festival celebration from today through Wednesday. Visitors can eat free zongzi, watch dragon boat races, light river lanterns, wear traditional Han costumes, commemorate Qu and play egg games during the celebration. The city’s blood center plans to hold a blood donation promotion at Central Walk in Futian District on Wednesday afternoon, for those who want to spend a more meaningful Dragon Boat Festival. Free gifts will be given out to each blood donor. | 