To celebrate the festivities, the ladies wrapped and tasted rice dumplings in bamboo leaves.The Dragon Boat Festival celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, June 8, 2008.The Taiwan Embassy said that the festival is typically celebrated during the summer months with dragon boat races and competitions.The embassy said according to history the festival memorializes the high school Qu Yuan (340 BC-278 BC) of the ancient state of Chu (Warring State Period).It said that Qu –Yuan committed suicide by drowning himself in the river because he found out the Chu has lost the battle.The story further said that the local people knowing him to be a good man, decided to throw food into the river to feed the fish so that they would not eat Qu’s body.It said that they also sat on a long, narrow paddle boats called dragon boats and tried to scare the fish away by thunderingsound of drums aboard the boat and carved dragons head on the boat’s prow.Taiwan Ambassador Matthew Lee said the sticky dumpling wrapped in bamboo leaves are made with mushroom, tapioca, sticky rice and tapioca.First Lady Debbie Remengesau thanked Lee on behalf of the participants in hosting another event for the ladies.
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