As important members of the Chinese nation, plenty of the minorities such as Man, Miao, Zhuang, Zang, dai etc. also celebrate the Dragon-boat Festival besides the Han nationality. We all know that dragon-boat race and Tzungtzu are the two key elements to the celebration of the festival in Han, then what about our minority friends? What they usually do during the Dragon-boat Festival time? Follow me, you will get the answer.
The Miao Minority 苗族
The Miao is one of the most ancient of China's nationalities, tracing their origins back more than 4,000 years. Most Miao people are settled mainly in Guizhou, Hainan, Hubei, Sichuan, Gansu, Guizhou, Qinghai, Hunan, Guangdong, Yunnan Provinces as well as the Guangxi Autonomous Region. Moreover, they are part of the Sino-Tibetan Miao-Yao ethno linguistic group.
In Miao Minority, the Dragon-boat Festival is celebrated in the form of dragon-boat racing in the fifth lunar month every year. Similar to the Han people's custom, dragon in Miao symbolizes auspiciousness and strength as well in the view of the Chinese.
Being approx. 20m in length and 1m in width, the dragon-boat is usually made by scraping several fir trunks into groove shape and tying them together. It is comprised of a mother boat and two barges at both sides. While the fore is fitted with a large-sized dragon head, on the horns of which are written such auspicious words as "Seasonable weather for crop raising (Fengtiao Yushun)" and "Guotai Min'an" (means the country is prosperous and the people live in safety). The buttock called "Phoenix Tail" is inserted with fragrant grass. Both the fore and the buttock are raised above water surface.
The Dragon-boat Festival falls on the 14th day of the fifth lunar month and lasts till the 17th. And the dragon-boat racing is usually held on the Qingshui River with fierce spectacle. Sailors will paddle continuously on their feet to avoid the dragon-boat to poise in the mid way and keep it moving at one fling to the terminal. The winner will be awarded a silk banner. After u-turning the boat, the wheelman will provide every tailor with a bunch of grass and fling them simultaneously into the river for the purpose of driving off evil spirits. It is an embodiment of witchery ceremony of the Miao minority. After the festival comes to an end, every village will be busy in slaying the fattest pig in the village to reward all villagers for their support to the festival.
Other than the dragon-boat racing, a wide range of folk-custom activities like horse race, bullfight, sparrow-fight, Sheng-blowing (a musical instrument), the youth's singing in antiphonal style, traveling far and wide, and drum-trampling are all available here , which are an embodiment of the wisdom, strength, bravery and solidarity of the Miao people and also, a revelation of the developmental course of the Miao minority's traditional culture. If you want to experience the real Chinese Dragon-boat Festival, Miao Minority is a Must-visit spot that should be added on your list.
The Mulam ethnic minority 仫佬族 
The Mulam ethnic minority has a population of 207,352, of which the majority live in Luocheng County in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region with others scattered in neighboring counties. The Mulam language is a member of the Zhuang-Dong Austronesian of the Chinese-Tibetan Phylum, but because of extensive contacts with the majority Hans and local Zhuangs, many Mulams speak one or both of these languages in addition to their own. The Mulams have no written language of their own, and the Chinese characters are commonly used for communication.
On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month the Dragon Boat Festival was celebrated. Unlike the Han and Zhuang Dragon Boat festivals, the Mulams used to carry a paper boat into the fields and a shaman would chant spells to drive away insects and ensure a good harvest.
The Tibetan nationality藏族
Tibetan, one of the 55 minority nationalities in China, is mainly scattered in the Tibet Autonomous Region and Tibetan autonomous prefectures in Qinghai, Sichuan and Gansu provinces.
Tibet has a Tibetan population of 2.41 million, making up 92 percent of its total population. The original name is "Boba", which means farming group. It got the present name during the reign of Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty. What’s more, Tibetans have their own language and written characters with its heyday of the culture lasted from the 10th to 16th century. 
While in Yunnan, over 111 thousand Tibetans are settled, mainly inhabiting in Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and a few number in Lijiang. Tibetans are an open nature nation, being good at the riding horses and arrows-shot. Many feasts are related with the religion such as " New Year of Tibetan Calendar" , "The Day of Being the Buddhist" etc.
The Tibet people also celebrate the Dragon-boat Festival, which is called as Sang Jie Man La Festival instead, implying a festival for pharmacist Buddha. When people of Han Nationality eat Tzungtzu, insert mugwort on their lintels as well as ride in dragon boat to commemorate Chuyuan, Tibetans are eating steamed vegetable buns and participating in archery competition in memory of the great pharmacist Buddha who has brought health and peace to the world. They also have the tradition of inserting flowers and grasses in their lintels, mostly the Ji Ma Mei Duo-a wild local plant.
In Tibet, it is said that drinking spring water can cure various illness, while bathing with spring water can make your body healthy and strong and will prolong your life. Therefore drinking and bathing in spring water is a traditonal activity of the Dragon-boat Festival. However, children have their own celebration ways. They come to riverbanks, woods and cliffs to pick fresh blue Ji Ma Mei Duo and inset them on their own lintels. Mothers will put sachets made from a variety of medical herbs to implore the pharmacist Buddha to bless healtyy growth of their children.
The Dai Nationality 傣族
Dai minority, with a popu-lation of about 1.2 million, mainly live in Dai Autonomous Region and Dehong Dai-Jingpo Autonomous Region in Xishuangbanna, known as "The Land of Peacocks" in south part of Yunnan Province, south-west China. Dai is the name the nationality calls itself, which means freedom .
Derived from the same ancestor - ancient "Baiyue" people, Dai minority has strong connection with nationalities such as Zhuang, Dong, Shui, Bouyei, and Li, etc. The earliest records about Dai minority can be traced back to the 1st B.C., which then was named "Dianyue" or "Shan".
Mostly popular among Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan, the Dragon-boat Festival of Dai Minority is usually named as Zong Bao Festival, a folk festival there. Differed from the Han Nationality, the theme of the festival is more about love. During the festival time, single men and women dress in finest clothes, singing loving songs together in a circle. Then, young lads send their Zong Bao to the girls they are fond of. If the girls have the same good feeling about the men, then they will hang out together, starting their loving journey.
Conclusion
It is true that some other minorities have much more different ceremonies and activities during the Dragon-boat Festival such as horse race in Shui Minority, Waxberry Picking Activity in Zhuang Minority etc. Thus, if you want to sense something different, something minority, be here by yourself during the holiday time! Do remember ro bring a camera to Kodak your wonderful trip!
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