China National Intellectual Property Administration to Close for Dragon Boat Festival

The China National Intellectual Property Administration (“CNIPA”) will be closed from June 25, 2020 to 27 June 27, 2020 for the Dragon Boat Festival.  Note that CNIPA will be open on Sunday, June 28, 2020.  All patent deadlines falling in the period of June 25 through and including June 28 are postponed to June 29, 2020.  However, trademark deadlines will only be extended to Sunday, June 28, 2020 and not to Monday, June 29, 2020.

The Dragon Boat Festival (or 端午节 in Chinese- Double Five Holiday), according to one origin story,  commemorates the death of the poet and minister Qu Yuan.  He committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River when his city (that he was exiled from decades earlier) was captured by enemies.  Locals raced out to save him, hence the origin of the popular Dragon Boat races over the holiday.  Failing to do so, locals dropped zongzi (sticky rice wrapped in leaves with other fillings) into the river so that the fish would eat that instead of the body of the beloved poet. 

Nowadays, to celebrate the holiday, people may race dragon boats in competitions and definitely eat delicious zongzi. 

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