Dragon Boat Festival in Taiwan

A public holiday in Taiwan

Taiwan’s official calendar designates the Dragon Boat Festival as a one-day holiday. Under the Labor Standards Act, workers are entitled to leave on national holidays; the Ministry of Labor says this also applies to part-time and hourly workers.[1][2]

If a national holiday falls on a worker’s statutory regular day off or rest day, compensatory leave must be given on another workday. The date is arranged by the employer and worker. For government agencies, the responsible authority publishes any changes to the scheduled days off in its calendar.[1]

The date and its meaning

The festival follows the lunar calendar, so its Gregorian date changes from year to year. Taiwan’s official calendar places it on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.[1]

Taiwan’s Tourism Administration describes the festival as closely connected with the remembrance of Qu Yuan, a poet of the Warring States period. In the traditional account it recounts, Qu Yuan drowned himself in the Miluo River, and local people rowed out searching for him. The story is a legend associated with the customs, rather than a verified account of the festival’s complete origins.[3]

Races and zongzi

Dragon boat races are a common festival activity in Taiwan, and local areas hold their own races. The Tourism Administration also notes an international race with teams from Taiwan and abroad. Events vary by place, so check local announcements for dates and locations.[3]

Zongzi are glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves. The Tourism Administration connects the food to the Qu Yuan legend: people are said to have thrown rice into the river to keep fish from eating him. Today, people eat the wrapped dumplings as part of the festival.[3]

What to expect on the holiday

Government agencies follow their published work calendars, which designate the festival as a holiday and specify applicable substitute days. Shops and transport operators set their own hours, so check with them before you travel.[1]