Handmade zongzi rice dumplings are ancient tradition.

A Chinese food producer is looking to spend 10 million yuan ($1.45 million) to develop robots that can replace humans in making zongzi, or traditional rice dumplings.

The food is widely consumed during the Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on May 30 this year.

Zongzi is a pyramid-shaped, glutinous rice dumpling that is filled with ingredients such as red dates, pork or salted egg yolk, and wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves.

Check out the video to find out how they are made by hand.