Private Suzhou Day Tour of Chinese Dragon Boat Festival

Tour Itinerary

In the morning, our Suzhou tour guide will meet you at your hotel lobby in Suzhou downtown or Suzhou Train Station with a welcome signage “Suzhou Private Tour”. The attractions of One day Suzhou private tour of Chinese dragon boat festival as below:

Our Suzhou Pick up signage"Suzhou Private Tour"

Your day tour starts at the Lingering Garden, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the city's finest classical gardens. It has been listed as one of the four most famous national classic gardens together with the humble administrator's garden, the Summer Palace and Mountain Summer Resort in Chengde are called China's four largest gardens. Landscape architectural space processing is very exquisite, using a variety of artistic techniques, built a unique space system, becoming one of the world civilization examples of architectural space art processing. Wander through the trails and portals of this delicately-planned garden that carefully combines traditional Chinese architecture with natural beauty. A good place to let your mind and body rest. 

After that, drive you to Jinji Lake to see the Boat Ride Race—the highlights of Chinese Dragon Boat Festival. 

Chinese Dragon Boat Festival(Chinese:???)
Chinese Dragon Boat Festival is one of the important Chinese traditional festival, which happens on the 5th of May on lunar month with the history of over 2,000 years. This festival is a traditional holiday that commemorates the life and death of the famous Chinese scholar Qu Yuan (Chu Yuan), who lived in the state of Chu during the Warring Stated period. Today, like people in other parts, people in Suzhou also eat Zongzi, drink yellow rice wine and hold dragon-boat races to celebrate the festival.

Background of Dragon Boat Festival
The festival commemorates the life and death of the famous Chinese scholar Qu Yuan, who was a loyal minister of the King of Chu in the third century BCE. Qu Yuan’s wisdom and intellectual ways antagonized other court officials, thus they accused him of false charges of conspiracy and was exiled by the king. During his exile, Qu Yuan composed many poems to express his anger and sorrow towards his sovereign and people. 

Qu Yuan drowned himself by attaching a heavy stone to his chest and jumping into the Miluo River in 278 BCE at the age of 61. The people of Chu tried to save him believing that Qu Yuan was an honorable man; they searched desperately in their boats looking for Qu Yuan but were unable to save him. Every year the Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated to commemorate this attempt at rescuing Qu Yuan. 

The local people began the tradition of throwing sacrificial cooked rice into the river for Qu Yuan, while others believed that the rice would prevent the fishes in the river from eating Qu Yuan’s body. At first, the locals decided to make zongzi in hopes that it would sink into the river and reach Qu Yuan's body. However, the tradition of wrapping the rice in bamboo leaves to make zongzi began the following year.

Highlights---The way to celebrate Dragon Boat Festival
Boat Ride Race on Jinji Lake
The Jinji Lake Dragon Boat Race was first held in 2010, and was welcomed by citizens and grew rapidly. Now the race still consisted of two parts: the 300-meter 12 person small dragon boat race and the 300-meter 22 person large dragon boat race. 57 teams participated in the small dragon boat race while 13 teams joined the large dragon boat race, involving 1,320 participants who came not only from Suzhou, but also from neighboring cities such as Nanjing and Changzhou. 

"Dragon boat racing is a traditional folk sport, and we plan to set up a 'Suzhou Dragon Boat Association' to promote the activity," said Tao Yongjie, the Deputy Director of Suzhou Sport Bureau.

Zongzi-making competition in Cang lang Street
Nearly 50 residents from 21 communities in the area of Canglang Street, Gusu District competed against each other for the title of the 'fastest zongzi maker'.

Participants' ages ranged from 50 to 70 years of age, with most of them experienced in the art of zongzi making. When the referee whistled the start of the event, they wasted no time in grasping reed leaves, shaping them into little funnels, then pouring glutinous rice into the funnel. They then folded the reed leaves into different shapes, and wrapped them with string to make the finished zongzi. Most people made zongzi of three corners, as it is the simplest shape to make; but some others made 'pillow zongzi' and 'small-corner zongzi', which are more complicated.

The 21 communities all sent their own teams to participate in the group competition. The competition took just five minutes, and the fastest team, which was from Zhuhui Community, made 45 zongzi. There were also 21 individuals to compete for the fastest zongzi maker individual. Each of them made only one zongzi, and the person who finished the quickest won. Most of the participants made a zongzi within 20 seconds. 

After watched the Boat Ride Race and Zongzi-making competition, our Suzhou tour guide will take you back to your hotel in Suzhou or Suzhou Train Station.

Price Per Person in US Dollars