The Dragon Boat Festival

The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu Festival, is a traditional and important celebration in China.

Dragon Boat Festival 2020 fell on June 25 (Thursday).

 

Simple Facts to Understand Dragon Boat Festival:

Chinese: 端午节 Duānwǔ Jié “start [of the] fifth traditional solar month festival”

Date: month 5 day 5 of the Chinese lunar calendar

History: over 2,000 years

Celebrations: dragon boat racing, health-related customs, honoring Qu Yuan and others

Popular festival food: sticky rice dumplings (zongzi)

 

What Is China’s Dragon Boat Festival?

It’s a traditional festival full of traditions and superstitions, maybe originating from dragon worship; an event on the sporting calendar; and a day of remembrance/worship for Qu Yuan, Wu Zixu, and Cao E.

The festival has long been a traditional holiday in China.

On May 20th, 2006 it was selected into the first batch of National Intangible Cultural Heritage items.

In 2008 it was first celebrated as a public holiday in China.

On October 30th, 2009 it was added to the UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

 

Why Dragon Boat Racing is Held for the Day?

Dragon boat racing is said to originate from the legend of people paddling out on boats to seek the body of patriotic poet Qu Yuan (343–278 BC), who drowned himself in a River.

Dragon boat racing is the most important activity during the Dragon Boat Festival.

The wooden boats are shaped and decorated in the form of a Chinese dragon. The boat size varies by region. Generally, it is about 20–35 meters in length and needs 30–60 people to paddle it.

During the races, dragon boat teams paddle harmoniously and hurriedly, accompanied by the sound of beating drums. It is said that the winning team will have good luck and a happy life in the following year.

 

How Chinese People Celebrate the Festival

Duanwu Festival (Dragon Boat Festival) is a folk festival celebrated for over 2,000 years, when Chinese people practice various customs thought to dispel disease and invoke good health.

Some of the most traditional customs include dragon boat racing, eating sticky rice dumplings (粽子 zòngzi), hanging Chinese mugwort and calumus, drinking realgar wine, and wearing perfume pouches.

Now many of the customs are disappearing, or no longer observed. You are more likely to find them practiced in rural areas.

 

How Did Dragon Boat Festival Start?

There are many legends about the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival. The most popular one is in commemoration of Qu Yuan.

Qu Yuan (340–278 BC) was a patriotic poet and exiled official during the Warring States Period of ancient China.

He drowned himself in the Miluo River on the 5th day of the 5th Chinese lunar month, when his beloved Chu State fell to the State of Qin.

Local people desperately tried to save Qu Yuan or recover his body, to no avail.

In order to commemorate Qu Yuan, every fifth day of the fifth lunar month people beat drums and paddle out in boats on the river as they once did to keep fish and evil spirits away from his body.


Post time: Jun-29-2020