visit us at https://blog.laowaicareer.comtweet us @laowaicareer

What is China’s Dragon Boat Festival?

With a history of over 2,000 years, the Dragon Boat

Festival, also referred to as Duanwu Festival, is steeped

in history and tradition.

With a history of over 2,000 years, the Dragon Boat Festival, also referred to as Duanwu Festival, is

steeped in history and tradition. The holiday falls on the fifth of the Chinese lunar calendar’s 5th month

and commemorates Qu Yuan, a famous Chinese poet, and patriot who lived from 340-278 BCE.

The Dragon Boat Festival is a celebration where many drink realgar wines (xiong huangjiu), eat rice

dumplings (zongzi), take long walks, hang mugwort and calamus, wear perfumed medicine bags, and

write spells.

All of these activities including making an egg stand at noon were regarded by the ancients as an

effective way of preventing evil and diseases while promoting great health and well-being.

Sometimes people wear talismans to cast away evil spirits or hang the picture of Zhong Kui, a guardian

against evil spirits on the door of their homes. Traditionally, Chinese citizens would throw bamboo leaves filled with cooked rice into the water while

today the custom is to eat rice dumplings and tsung tzu.

Background

Many believe the Duanwu Festival originated in ancient China based on the suicide of the statesman

of the Chu Kingdom and poet, Qu Yuan in 278BCE. He served as an advisor of Chu’s state during China’s

Warring States era (475-221BCE), when China was ruled by several warring factions.

Qu Yuan’s wisdom and intellectual ways antagonized other court officials. Thus, they accused him of false charges of conspiracy, and he was exiled by the king. Qu was forced to live a quiet life at home, where he

wrote poems including Tian Wen(Heavenly Questions), Jiu Ge (Nine Songs), and Li Sao (The

Lament) to express his sorrow and anger towards his sovereign country and people.

Qu grew concerned about the fate of the Chu state when he learned of the capture of his state’s capital by the state of Qin. After he finished working on his

final piece titled, Huai Sha (Embracing Sand) he committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River by attaching a heavy stone to his chest at the

age of sixty-one.

The Qin state would become the first imperial dynasty in China. The Chu people tried to save him because

they regarded him as an honorable man. After desperately searching for him in their boats, they

were at long last unable to save him. Duanwu Jie is celebrated annually, and this year it falls between the

9th-11th of June. Each year the Duanwu Festival is celebrated to honor his attempted rescue

The locals began the tradition of throwing sacrificial cooked rice into the river for Qu Yuan

while others believed that the rice would prevent the fish in the river from eating his body. Initially, the locals made zongzi which is glutinous

rice dumplings which are pyramid shaped and wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves, hoping that

it would sink in the river and reach Qu yuan’s body.

The following year the tradition of wrapping the rice in bamboo leaves to make zongzi began. An old man also poured a jug of realgar wine which is Chinese liquor with seasoning into the water to turn all the aquatic beasts drunk. This is why today,

Chinese eat zongzi, drink realgar wine, and race in dragon boats.

BonusClick on the link below to read the full blog post!

https://blog.laowaicareer.com/china-dragon-boat-festival/

LaowaiCareer.comblog.LaowaiCareer.com

• Search Jobs• Register as a Job seeker.• Subscribe to our Newsletter, Job offers and Blo

gs• Read our blog