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The Dragon Boat Festival, the 5th day of the 5th lunar month,
has had a history of more than 2,000 years. It is usually in June
in the Gregorian calendar.
There are many legends about the evolution of the festival, the
most popular of which is in commemoration of Qu Yuan (340-278 BC).
Qu Yuan was minister of the State of Chu and one of China's
earliest poets. In face of great pressure from the powerful Qin
State, he advocated enriching the country and strengthening its
military forces so as to fight against the Qin. However, he was
opposed by aristocrats headed by Zi Lan, and later deposed and
exiled by King Huai. In his exiled days, he still cared much for
his country and people and composed immortal poems including Li
Sao (The Lament), Tian Wen (Heavenly
Questions) and Jiu Ge (Nine Songs), which had
far-reaching influences. In 278 BC, he heard the news that Qin
troops had finally conquered Chu's capital, so he finished his last
piece Huai Sha (Embracing Sand) and plunged himself
into the Miluo River, clasping his arms to a large stone. The day
happened to be the 5th of the 5th month in the Chinese lunar
calendar. After his death, the people of Chu crowded to the bank of
the river to pay their respects to him. The fishermen sailed their
boats up and down the river to look for his body. People threw into
the water zongzi (pyramid-shaped glutinous rice dumplings
wrapped in reed or bamboo leaves) and eggs to divert possible
fish or shrimp from attacking his body. An old doctor poured a jug
of reaglar wine (Chinese liquor seasoned with realgar) into the
water, hoping to turn all aquatic beasts drunk. That's why people
later followed the customs such as dragon boat racing, eating
zongzi and drinking realgar wine on that day.
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. Folk tales say the game originates from the activities
of seeking Qu Yuan's body, but experts, after painstaking and
meticulous research, conclude that dragon boat racing is a
semi-religious, semi-entertaining program from the Warring States
Period (475-221 BC). In the following thousands of years, the game
spread to Japan, Vietnam and Britain as well as China's Taiwan and
Hong Kong. Now dragon boat racing has developed into an aquatic
sports item which features both Chinese tradition and modern
sporting spirit. In 1980, it was listed into the state sports
competition programs and has since been held every year. The award
is called "Qu Yuan Cup."
Zongzi is an essential food of the Dragon Boat Festival. It
is said that people ate them in the Spring and Autumn Period
(770-476 BC). In early times, it was only glutinous rice dumplings
wrapped in reed or other plant leaves and tied with colored thread,
but now the fillings are more diversified, including jujube and
bean paste, fresh meat, and ham and egg yolk. If time permits,
people will soak glutinous rice, wash reed leaves and wrap up
zongzi themselves. Otherwise, they will go to shops to buy
whatever stuff they want. The custom of eating zongzi is now
popular in North and South Korea, Japan and Southeast Asian
nations.
On Dragon Boat Festival, parents also need to dress their
children up with a perfume pouch. They first sew little bags with
colorful silk cloth, then fill the bags with perfumes or herbal
medicines, and finally string them with silk threads. The perfume
pouch 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.
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