China and South Korea may collaborate on putting the Dragon Boat Festival on the non-material world heritage list.

Folk culture experts and scholars from the two countries will hold a symposium this Saturday, the day of the festival, to discuss the differences and similarities of the way the festival is celebrated in both countries. They will also discuss the possibility of a joint application of the festival.

The Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, is believed to have originated in China some 2000 years ago, and later spread to South Korea and Japan and some South Asian countries.

But after years of practice, the Dragon Boat Festival has also become an important traditional festival in South Korea and South Koreans have attached a strong Korean flavor in celebrating the festival.

 
 
(CRI.com June 8, 2005)