the dragon boat festival, also called the duanwu festival, is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month according to the chinese calendar. for thousands of years, the festival has been marked by eating zong zi (glutinous rice(糯米)wrapped to form a pyramid using bamboo or reed leaves) and racing dragon boats.
the festival is best known for its dragon-boat races, especially in the southern provinces where there are many rivers and lakes. thisregatta(赛舟会)commemorates the death of qu yuan , an honest minister who is said to have committed suicide by drowning himself in a river.
qu was a minister of the state of chu situated in present-day hunan and hubei provinces, during thewarring states period(475-221bc)(战国时期). he was upright, loyal and highly esteemed for his wise counsel that brought peace and prosperity to the state. however, when a dishonest and corrupt prince vilified qu, he was disgraced and dismissed from office. realizing that the country was now in the hands of evil and corrupt officials, qu grabbed a large stone and leapt into the miluo river on the fifth day of the fifth month. nearby fishermen rushed over to try and save him but were unable to even recover his body. thereafter, the state declined and was eventually conquered by the state of qin.
the people of chu who mourned the death of qu threw rice into the river to feed his ghost every year on the fifth day of the fifth month. but one year, the spirit of qu appeared and told the mourners that a hugereptile(爬行动物)in the river had stolen the rice. the spirit then advised them to wrap the rice in silk and bind it with five different-colored threads before tossing it into the river.
during the duanwu festival, a glutinous rice pudding called zong zi is eaten to symbolize the rice offerings to qu. ingredients such as beans,lotus seeds(莲子),chestnuts(栗子), pork fat and the golden yolk of a salted duck egg are often added to the glutinous rice. the pudding is then wrapped with bamboo leaves, bound with a kind of raffia and boiled in salt water for hours.
the dragon-boat races symbolize the many attempts to rescue and recover qu's body. a typical dragon boat ranges from 50-100 feet in length, with a beam of about 5.5 feet, accommodating two paddlers seated side by side.
a wooden dragon head is attached at the bow, and a dragon tail at thestern(船尾). a banner hoisted on a pole is also fastened at the stern and the hull is decorated with red, green and blue scales edged in gold. in the center of the boat is a canopied shrine behind which the drummers,gong(铜锣)beaters andcymbal(铙钹)players are seated to set the pace for the paddlers. there are also men positioned at the bow to set off firecrackers, toss rice into the water and pretend to be looking for qu. all of the noise and pageantry creates an atmosphere of gaiety and excitement for the participants and spectators alike. the races are held among different clans, villages and organizations, and the winners are awarded medals, banners, jugs of wine and festive meals.
The customs vary a lot in different areas of the country, but most of the families would hang the picture of Zhong Kui (a ghost that can exorcise), calamus and moxa in their houses. People have Dragon Boat Races, eat Zong Zi (dumpling made of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves) and carry a spice bag around with them.
粽子tsung- tse:Glutinous rice(糯米) filled with meat, nuts or bean paste(豆酱) and wrapped in bamboo leaves. It is associated with Dragon Boat Festival with historical meaning.The custom of eating tsung-tse is
also popular in North and South Korea, Japan and Southeast Asian nations.
It is a very popular practice to drink this kind of Chinese liquor seasoned with realgar at the Dragon Boat Festival. This is for protection from evil and disease for the rest of the year.
端午玩什么?
“鼓声三下红旗开,两龙跃出浮水来。棹影斡波飞万剑,鼓声劈浪鸣千雷。”端午节最应景的节目就是赛龙舟。
Dragon boat racing is an indispensable part of the festival, held all over the country. As the gun is fired, people will see racers in dragon-shaped canoes pulling the oars harmoniously and hurriedly, accompanied by rapid drums, speeding toward their destination.
On Dragon Boat Festival, parents also need to dress their children up with a sachet. They first sew little bags with colorful silk cloth, then fill the bags with perfumes or herbal medicines(草药), and finally string them with silk threads. The sachet will be hung around the neck or tied to the front of a garment as an ornament. They are said to be able to ward off evil.
在门上挂艾叶和菖蒲hang branches of moxa and calamus around the doors of their homes 和悬钟馗像display portraits of evil's nemesis, Chung Kuei都是为了驱疾避凶,讨个吉利。
The Dragon Boat Festival(5th May in Chinese lunar calendar)also called Zongzi Festival and Dragon Boat Festival. It is one of the oldest traditional festival in China with more than 2,000 years history. It’s said that it is to commemorate the death of a Chinese patriotic poet, Qu Yuan. There are lots of activities for Chinese people to celebrate in this festival. Such as hanging pictures of Zhong Kui, hanging calamus and moxa on the door, eating Zongzi, carrying about spice bags, drinking realgar wine, organizing dragon boat race, etc.
1. Hanging picture of Zhong Kui----- It’s believed that hanging the picture of ZhongKui on the door can prevent evil from coming in people’s house.
2. Hanging calamus and moxa on the door----- People will clean up the house and hang calamus and moxa on the door to meet Dragon Boat Festival. In addition to against evil, it can guide happiness into people’s
house.
3. Eating Zongzi. ----In ancient times, the fishmen living by the Miluo River always throw Zongzi into the river to prevent fish from eating Qu Yuan’s body. This custom has been passed so far. Now people always eat Zongzi on this day.
4. Carrying out spice bags.----- Spice bags is full of many kinds of spice. On Dragon Festival, parents also dress their children up with spice bags. People think it could bring fortune and happiness.
5. Drinking realgar wine-----In Dragon Boat Festival, people drink realgar wine, and and smear it on children’
s bodies to prevent insect bites and
stings.
6. Dragon Boat Race-----Dragon boat race is the most important activity in Dragon Boat Festival. We hold the Dragon Boat Race to celebrate the good harvest. Besides, it is also a symbol of team work and competition.
1、The Dragon Boat Festival, also called the Duanwu Festival, is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month according to the Chinese calendar. This festival is to commemorate the death of QU Yuan, an upright and honest poet and statesman who is said to have committed suicide by drowning himself in a river. The most important activity of this festival is the Dragon Boat races. It symbolizes people‘s attempts to rescue Qu Yuan. In the current period, these races also demonstrate the virtues of cooperation and teamwork. Besides, the festival has also been marked by eating zong zi (glutinous rice)。 Zong zi is made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves. People who mourned the death of Qu threw Zong zi into the river to feed his ghost every year. With the changes of the times, the memorial turns to be a time for protection from evil and disease for the rest of year. People will hang healthy herbs on the front door to clear the bad luck of the house. Although the significance of the festival might be different with the past, it still gives the observer an opportunity to glimpse a part of the rich Chinese cultural heritage. 2、端午节,又称为端午节,根据中国日历定在第五个月的第五天。这个节日是为了纪念屈原的死,一个忠厚老实的诗人和政治家,在河流溺水自杀。 这个节日最重要的活动是龙舟竞赛。它寓意着人们在努力救屈原。在当前时期,这些比赛也表达了团队合作的精神。此外,节日被记住因为这个特殊的食物-粽子(糯米)。粽子是糯米做的有不同的馅料包在竹叶或芦苇叶。人哀悼屈原的死亡把粽子扔进河里喂他的鬼魂。 随着时代的变化,纪念转向保护他不受邪恶力量的影响并且驱逐疾病。人们会把健康的草药挂在前门来驱逐房子的坏运气。虽然这个节日的意义可能不同与过去,它仍然使人们看到了丰富的中国文化遗产的一部分。