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TheDuanwuFestival,alsoknownastheDragonBoatFestival,isatraditionalChineseoccasionduringwhichpeopleprayforgoodhealth.AstheworldcontinuestorecoverfromtheimpactoftheCOVID-19pandemic,thisyear"sfestivalholdsnewwishesforfuturehappiness.

Whyisthisfestivalassociatedwithprayingforgoodhealth?TheDuanwuFestivalfallsonthefifthdayofthefifthlunarmonth,typicallyinJune,accordingtotheGregoriancalendar.AncientChineseobservedthatillnesseswereparticularlycommonduringthistimeoftheyearbasedontheirexperiences.Theyalsonoticedthatvenomouscreatures,suchassnakes,centipedesandscorpions,becamemoreactiveduringthedayssurroundingthefestival,posingthreatstotheirhealthandeventheirlives.

Toprotectthemselvesfromthesedangersandpreventdiseases,ancientpeoplewouldhangmugwortorcalamusandcarryperfumedmedicinepouches.Theyalsoengagedinlongwalksasaformofexercisetomaintaingoodhealth.AsJuneusheredinthehotsummer,theywouldalsouserealgarasapesticideagainstmosquitoesandasanantidoteagainstpoison.

Thesetraditionshavebeenpasseddownforgenerations,markingthefestival"shistoryofover2,000years.Thisyear,theDuanwuFestivalfallsonJune22.Let"scommemoratethisoccasionbyexploringitscherishedtraditionsinthefollowingsixpictures.