Eating rice dumplings is just one of many Dragon Boat Festival traditions in Taiwan. But, there are many more for people to partake in, many with local origins.
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00:00888 upright watermelons line a road in southern Taiwan.
00:06An odd sight any other week, but this is Dragon Boat Festival weekend.
00:11People usually balance eggs upright on this holiday, believing it to be a sign of good luck in the coming year.
00:18Legend has it that the sun's position over the earth during this time makes it easier for eggs to stand up because of gravity.
00:26But instead of eggs, this part of Taiwan is using watermelons, because they're a local specialty.
00:32So many of these are from our Pindong县.
00:38Another Dragon Boat Festival tradition takes place here, at Sword Well in Taichung City in central Taiwan.
00:46The well is thought to have come about when a famous general stuck his sword into the ground and water swelled out.
00:53It's said the water from this well is teeming with powerful life force at noon on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival.
01:00People collect what's colloquially known as noon water for good luck.
01:05All 500 available bottles of the lucky water were snatched up, showing just how serious Dragon Boat Festival traditions are here in Taiwan.
01:18Some opted to travel abroad over the long weekend.
01:22But if attendance is anything to go by, domestic Dragon Boat Festival celebrations are still a strong draw for people in Taiwan.
01:30Hank Xu and Leslie Liao for Taiwan Plus.