The fifth day of the fifth lunar month is set aside for the Dragon Boat Festival. There are many different versions, though the most popular commemorates Qu Yuan, who was a senior state official of Chu during the Warring States Period. Qin was the most powerful of the states and its leader wanted to conquer the other six.
Qu said the King of Chu should carry out a reform and team up with the other states to fight this attempted Qin take-over. However, this gained only negative reactions and the King eventually became disillusioned with Qu, finally driving him out of the capital. When the state of Qin won the fight, the King drowned himself. That day was the fifth of the fifth, 278 BC.
On hearing this news, the people tried to retrieve the King’s lifeless body. They were unsuccessful so, to distract the fish, they threw food into the water. Now, dragon boats on the river commemorate Qu Yuan.
The traditional food of this festival, zongzi, is made of sticky rice wrapped in bamboo or reeds and tied with coloured thread. This originated because it was said someone once met Qu by the river and was told the dragon ate the food offered so, to frighten the dragon, the people were to wrap the food in bamboo or reeds. These traditions have survived to this day.
The recipe for zongzi has developed over the centuries, with wild rice leaves being replaced with those of bamboo. The reeds came later still. The recipe is still developing today many varieties are emerging from different areas of China. The recipe from Zhejiang province remains the most typical.
Many other legends lend themselves to this festival, which dates back over 2,000 years, and customs are generally the same all over China: Dragon Boat races and eating zongzi, as well as other traditions.
In 1736, Dragon Boat contests began in Taiwan; now there are races in both Taiwan and Hong Kong on the same date as the mainland. In 1980, the race was even added to the list of national sporting events in China and the Qu Yuan Cup is held annually. The first international Dragon Boat Race was held on the 16th of June 1991 (the fifth day of the fifth lunar month), in Yueyang, Hunan province. The traditional Dragon-Head ceremony was held beforehand: the dragon’s head was draped in red cloth once in the ancestral temple, then the eyes were painted on. Everyone then bowed to the head three times. It was then taken to the Miluo River, where the contest was being held in front of more than 600,000 people.
Another custom of the Dragon Boat Festival is putting calamus and mugwort around the house to prevent disease and get rid of evil spirits. There is some truth in the wives’ tales about these plants: calamus, for instance, has properties which are good for the bones and also repel insects. Dragon Boat Festival is also known as Health Festival because of this.
Many other customs exist to celebrate this festival, including hanging up a picture of Zhong Kui to scare ghosts and drinking realgar liquor. Realgar contains arsenic sulphide and keeps insects and vipers away. Sachets are also worn supposedly to prevent evil but now more for decoration. These are scented with such things as realgar and vermillion.
The Dragon Boat Festival is very popular throughout China, its stories and legends having given it longevity and vitality.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|