CHINA: Fifth of the Fifth

The people of Chungking, climbing down to the Yangtze, laughed and chattered and munched glutinous rice cakes wrapped in leaves. This was a double holiday: the good news had come of Free China's greatest victory in six weary years of war (TIME, June 14); and this was the immemorial Festival of the Fifth Day of the Fifth Moon—to Chinese, the "Fifth of the Fifth"; to foreigners, the' colorful day of the dragon-boat races.*

The river front of drab wooden huts had become a gaudy stage. Against the mighty backdrop of brown and grey gorges and leaping yellow waters the lean...