Travellers planning on heading to Boston this summer should be sure not to miss the spectacular Dragon Boat Festival.

Taking place on June 8th along the Charles River, the festival sees competitors take to the water in hand-painted boats designed to look like dragons in a series of races.

Visitors to Boston can also expect to peruse traditional Chinese arts and crafts, see demonstrations of Asian carpentry and other activities, watch the Dragon Dance and the resulting parade, and see shows from performers from around the world.

Legend has it that ancient patriot-poet Qu Yuan drowned himself in the Mi Lo River in China in sorrow after hearing that his home state had been invaded. The local people threw zung-ze, a concoction of steamed rice wrapped in reed leaf, into the water as a form of sacrifice to his spirit. Dragon boat racing now takes place around the world to commemorate the event.

Of course, there's much more to Boston than this colourful event - why not walk the Freedom Trail or take a ferry trip to the Boston Harbour Islands while you're in the city?

For more information, check out the website of the Boston Dragon Boat Festival.

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