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Dragon Boat Festival

(2005-02-02 17:08:55)


Dragon boat race

 

The 5th day of the 5th month of the lunar year is an important day for the Chinese people. The day is called Duan Wu Festival, or Dragon Boat Festival, celebrated everywhere in China.

 

This festival dates back to about 2,000 years ago with a number of legends explaining its origin. The best-known story centers on a great patriotic poet named Qu Yuan, who drowned himself on this day out of helplessness amid his declining nation.

 

Qu Yuan was a great politician and poet in the Warring States Period (476-221BC). He was born in an aristocratic family of the Chu State (currently Hubei), one of seven powerful states at that time. His birthplace is today's Zigui County in Hubei Province.

 

In 280 BC Qin State launched an overall invasion of Chu, and captured the Chu capital in 278 BC. The news reached Qu Yuan and in frustration at being unable to do anything to save his state, he clasped a big stone to his breast and leaped into the river to end his life.

 

There are some activities held to celebrate the festival, among which dragon boat race is one the most important.

 

The special boats are long and thin with dragon heads on the bow of the ships. The race is said to represent the search for Qu's body, with racing boats in a forward rowing motion, to the rhythm of beating drums.

 


Zong Zi

 

Chinese people also eat Zong Zi, little packets of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, which was originally thrown into the river to keep the fishes from eating the body of Qu Yuan.

 

In addition, it is said that when hearing the news of Qu Yuan's suicide, some doctors poured realgar wine into the Miluo River to anaesthetize the fishes, hence preventing them from eating Qu Yuan's body.

 
     
   
 
 
 
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