Dragon Boat Festival in China
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Dragon Boat Festival in ChinaThe Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu Festival, Duānwǔ Jié, Double Fifth, Tuen Ng Jit) is a traditional holiday that commemorates the life and death of the famous Chinese scholar Qu Yuan (Chu Yuan). The festival occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese lunisolar calendar.
What Do People Do?
The Dragon Boat Festival is a celebration where many eat rice dumplings (zongzi), drink realgar wine (xionghuangjiu), and race dragon boats. Other activities include hanging icons of Zhong Kui (a mythic guardian figure), hanging mugwort and calamus, taking long walks, writing spells and wearing perfumed medicine bags.
All of these activities and games such as making an egg stand at noon were regarded by the ancients as an effective way of preventing disease, evil, while promoting good health and well-being. People sometimes wear talismans to fend off evil spirits or they may hang the picture of Zhong Kui, a guardian against evil spirits, on the door of their homes.
In the Republic of China, the festival was also celebrated as "Poets' Day" in honor of Qu Yuan, who is known as China's first poet. Chinese citizens traditionally throw bamboo leaves filled with cooked rice into the water and it is also customary to eat tzungtzu and rice dumplings.
Public Life
The festival was long marked as a cultural holiday in China. However, it wasn’t until 2008 that the Dragon Boat Festival was recognized as a traditional and statutory public holiday in the People's Republic of China.
Background
Many believe that the Dragon Boat Festival originated in ancient China based on the suicide of the poet and statesman of the Chu kingdom, Qu Yuan in 278 BCE.
The festival commemorates the life and death of the famous Chinese scholar Qu Yuan, who was a loyal minister of the King of Chu in the third century BCE. Qu Yuan’s wisdom and intellectual ways antagonized other court officials, thus they accused him of false charges of conspiracy and was exiled by the king. During his exile, Qu Yuan composed many poems to express his anger and sorrow towards his sovereign and people.
Qu Yuan drowned himself by attaching a heavy stone to his chest and jumping into the Miluo River in 278 BCE at the age of 61. The people of Chu tried to save him believing that Qu Yuan
they searched desperately in their boats looking for Qu Yuan but were unable to save him. Every year the Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated to commemorate this attempt at rescuing Qu Yuan.
The local people began the tradition of throwing sacrificial cooked rice into the river for Qu Yuan, while others believed that the rice would prevent the fishes in the river from eating Qu Yuan’s body. At first, the locals decided to make zongzi in hopes that it would sink into the river and reach Qu Yuan's body. However, the tradition of wrapping the rice in bamboo leaves to make zongzi began the following year.
A dragon boat is a human-powered boat or paddle boat that is traditionally made of teak wood to various designs and sizes. They usually have brightly decorated designs that range anywhere from 40 to 100 feet in length, with the front end shaped like open-mouthed dragons, and the back end with a scaly tail. The boat can have up to 80 rowers to power the boat, depending on the length. A sacred ceremony is performed before any competition in order to “bring the boat to life” by painting the eyes. The first team to grab a flag at the end of the course wins the race.
The zong zi is a glutinous rice ball with a filling and wrapped in corn leaves. The fillings can be egg, beans, dates, fruits, sweet potato, walnuts, mushrooms, meat, or a combination of them. They are generally steamed.
It is said that if you can balance a raw egg on its end at exactly noon on Double Fifth Day, the rest of the year will be lucky.
The hanging of calamus and moxa on the front door, the pasting up pictures of Chung Kuei, drinking hsiung huang wine and holding fragrant sachets are said to possess qualities for preventing evil and bringing peace. Another custom practiced in Taiwan is "fetching noon water," in which people draw well water on the afternoon of the festival in the belief that it will cure all illnesses.
Dragon Boat Festival ObservancesSelect another year-range:<option value=–1949<option value=–1999<option value=–2049<option value=–2099<option value=–2149<option value=–2199<option value=–2249<option value=–2299<option value=–2349<option value=–2399<option value=–2449<option value=–2499<option value=–2549<option value=–2599<option value=–2649<option value=–2699<option value=–2749<option value=–2799<option value=–2849<option value=–2899<option value=–2949<option value=–2999<option value=–3049<option value=–3099<option value=–3149<option value=–3199<option value=–3249<option value=–3299<option value=–3349<option value=–3399<option value=–3449<option value=–3499<option value=–3549<option value=–3599<option value=–3649<option value=–3699<option value=–3749<option value=–3799<option value=–3849<option value=–3899<option value=–3949<option value=–3999WedJun 162010Dragon Boat FestivalNational holidayMonJun 62011Dragon Boat FestivalNational holidaySatJun 232012Dragon Boat FestivalNational holidayWedJun 122013Dragon Boat FestivalNational holidayMonJun 22014Dragon Boat FestivalNational holidaySatJun 202015Dragon Boat FestivalNational holidayThuJun 92016Dragon Boat FestivalNational holidayTueMay 302017Dragon Boat FestivalNational holidayMonJun 182018Dragon Boat FestivalNational holidayFriJun 72019Dragon Boat FestivalNational holidayThuJun 252020Dragon Boat FestivalNational holidayThe Dragon Boat Festival is also known as the Duanwu Festival in China. It is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese lunisolar calendar.Dragon Boat Festival 2016Thursday, June 9, 2016Dragon Boat Festival 2017Tuesday, May 30, 2017Advertising
Name in other languagesNameLanguage端午节ChineseDragon Boat FestivalEnglishDrachenbootfestGermanAlternative nameDuanwujieOther holidays in June 2016 in China & Wednesday, June 1, 2016 & Friday, June 10, 2016 & Saturday, June 11, 2016Fun Holiday on June 9, 2016You might also likeThe Business Days Calculator counts the number of business days or non-working days in a time span of your choice. Here's how to use it. A partial lunar eclipse happens when the Earth moves between the Sun and the Moon, but they are not precisely aligned.
What causes these colorful and dramatic light displays in the sky, and when and from where can you see them? A lunar eclipse can be seen with the naked eye, unlike solar eclipses, which have special safety requirements.Did you watered dargon boat races last Dragon Boat Festival?( )____ 改错
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1. Did you visit your relatives and friends last Spring Festival? 1. 1.We watched dragon boat races last Dragon Boat Festival. It was very
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扫描下载二维码2016 Chinese Dragon Boat Festival | June 9, 2016 | Duan-Wu Jie
2016 Chinese Dragon Boat Festival - Duan Wu Jie
2016 Chinese Dragon Boat Festival is on June 9, 2016
The 5th day of the 5th lunar month in the
is the Chinese Dragon Boat Day. Chinese call this day as
Duan means
beginning. Wu
Horse month. Jie means Festival. The
Horse month usually begins on June 5th or June 6th every year in the Gregorian calendar.
That means Dragon Boat Festival should be held in June, unless that year has
in the Chinese lunar calendar.
In China, the Dragon Boat Festival memorializes the Chinese patriotic poet
BC-278 BC or 343-290 B.C.), who committed suicide by jumping into the river after
tying himself with big rock on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month.
Chiu Yuan was the number one advisor of the kingdom of Chu
. But people
were jealous his position and said lots of bad words on his back. The
king wouldn't take his advice in the end and was killed by the enemy of neighbor kingdom.
The new king
continued to enjoy the luxury life and didn't like Chiu Yuan
either. Later, Chiu Yuan was exiled. He wrote many patriotic poem after then.
Chiu Yuan met a fisherman, who never cared about the country and quite
satisfied his life. Chiu Yuan thought that the king wouldn't run the country,
people only cared about themselves, nobody cared the future of the country and
to live is meaningless. So he killed himself by drowning himself in the river.
Many fishermen tried to rescue him, but the body is never found. Fishermen
worried about fish would eat his body. So they threw food into the river to feed
the fish. Plus, they tried to scare fish away by splashing the water with their
paddles and beating the drums on the long narrow boats.
Then the dragon
was added into the story. Fishermen believed there was a water-dragon
under the river. One man poured down a big jar of strong yellow wine (made of
rice). Later, a drunken dragon-like fish floated on the river. One piece of Chiu
Yuan's clothing was found in-between the whisker of the water-dragon.
The Dragon Boat Race
The custom of Dragon Boat Race might begin from the southern China. They selected
the 5rh lunar day of the 5th lunar month as the totem ceremony. The dragon was
the main symbol on the totem, because Chinese thought they were son of dragon.
They also made dragon-like canoe. Later, Chinese connected this custom with Duan Wu
Jie. Since this was the event only in the southern China. This might be why
Dragon Boat Race doesn't that popular in entire China today. But we can see
yearly Dragon Boat Race events in Honk Hong and Taiwan.
Today, the Dragon Boat Race becomes an international event. This sport is popular
in USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, Taiwan, Honk Hong, Singapore etc. Some
organization's events
aren't held around the Dragon Boat Festival. Some are in July, August or
September. You need to check their websites for the schedules.
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There are few sites more spectacular than a fleet of boats decorated to look like dragons racing to the finish line, paddlers moving their oars in one fluid motion while the drummer thumps out a steady rhythm. Once practically unknown outside the Chinese community, today you'll find enthusiastic crowds cheering on racers participating in dragon boat festivals everywhere from Rome, Italy to Seattle, Washington.
But the dragon boat festival is much more than an athletic event. It is the third largest festival in the Chinese calendar, following the Spring Festival and the Mid-Autumn Moon festival. And, like these two other traditional holidays, food plays an important and symbolic role in the festivities.Legend Behind the Dragon Boat FestivalAlthough the races are held on different dates throughout the world, the dragon boat festival officially falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar (June 12th in 2013).
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There are several legends surrounding the origin of the dragon boat festival, which is also called the "Festival of the Double Fifth."
Traditionally, the fifth lunar month is supposed to be fraught with danger, as the forces of ying and yang are out of balance. One theory is that dragon boat racing began as a way of paying homage to the God of Water so that the farmers would have good crops. During that month, people would also hang calamus and moxa on their front doors in an attempt to ward off evil spirits.But bad as the fifth month was, the fifth day of that month was especially inauspicious. It was said that a child born on that day would be extremely difficult to raise, bringing his parents much grief.
Another legend surrounding the origin of the dragon boat festival concerns a man who had the misfortune to be born on this unlucky day. Tian Wen survived murder attempts and banishment by his father to eventually to become the Prime Minister of a Chinese state. Determined that no other child should suffer similar mistreatment, he ordered that the fifth day of the fifth month be considered a regular day, as propitious as any other.
Another theory, put forth by Professor Wen Yiduo, is that celebrations were held on this day as a sacrifice to the ancient dragon, in honor of the beast's birthday.The Dragon Boat Festival and Qu YuanBut the most popular story revolves around the life and death of one of China's most famous citizens. Qu Yuan was both a statesman and China's first known poet. During his lifetime, he served as Minister of Law and Ordinance for his home state of Chu in southern China. Unfortunately, Qu Yuan lived during the Warring States period (481 - 221 B.C.), when larger, more powerful states were trying to consolidate their power. One of these states, Qin in the north, was determined to control the state of Chu. Qin leaders gave the King of Chu a peace treaty to sign, which they had no intention of honoring. Suspicious of their motives, Qu Yuan advised the king not to sign the treaty. Unfortunately, the king was threatened by Qu Yuan's stature, believing the poet was trying to gain greater political power in the government. Not only did he sign the treaty, but he banished Qu Yuan to a remote region in Hunan province. Eventually, Chu was defeated by the stronger Qin state.It is thought that the news of Chu's defeat destroyed Qu Yuan's will to live. As a result, on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month in 278 B.C., he committed suicide by grasping a large rock and throwing himself into the Miluo River.Local fisherman raced to their boats to recover his body, beating drums and splashing their paddles on the water to scare away the fish. But it was all to no avail. In one version of the legend, they began throwing rice on the water as a sacrifice to their dead hero, and to nourish his spirit. One night, the image of Qu Yuan appeared to one of the fisherman in a dream. In the dream, the poet revealed that the fish were eating the rice. He asked that the rice be wrapped in silk to protect it. Later, the silk was replaced with bamboo leaves.In another version, the rice packets were meant for the fish, in an effort to keep them from devouring Qu Yuan's body. But whichever version you choose to believe, the death of Qu Yuan gave rise to both the dragon boat races and celebrating the day with zongzi - delicious dumplings made with glutinous rice that are stuffed in bamboo leaves."Many a heavy sigh I heaved in my despair, Grieving that I was born in such an unlucky time...I yoked a team of jade dragons to a phoenix-figured car, And waited for the wind to come, to soar up on my journey."(Qu Yuan, ancient Chinese poet)Next Page&
Dragon Boat Festival
