The Dragon Boat Festival should get extra attention this year.
In addition to the popular tradition of dragon boat races, a variety of
activities are planned across the country to celebrate today's festival.
More than 100 noted poets gathered in Beijing for a three-day seminar which
ends today. They studied the poems of Qu Yuan -- the patriot poet in the Warring
States Period (475-221 BC) from when the festival originates -- and also
composed their own verses in memory of the late hero.
The Chinese capital will host a park carnival and a seminar as well, both
focusing on folk customs during the festival.
"I am excited about the upcoming carnival, because I used to celebrate the
day by simply eating a couple of Zongzi (a pyramid-shaped dumpling made of
glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves)," said Lu Ying, a
thirty-something Beijinger.
A girl of Yao
Nationality in Longhui County of Central China's Hunan Province Monday
prepares Zongzi, a pyramid-shaped dumpling made of glutinous rice wrapped
in bamboo or reed leaves. It is traditionally eaten during the Dragon Boat
Festival, which falls on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month in the Chinese
lunar calendar. [newsphoto] |
In Qu Yuan's
hometown, Zigui County of Central China's Hubei Province, the first national
dragon boat cultural festival will be held between June 25 to July 2.
Zheng Jiayu, a publicity official with the Zigui county government, said the
festival would feature a traditional dancing contest, a poem writing competition
and a series of traditional sacrificial activities in commemoration of Qu Yuan.
The traditional festival has even won favour from websites this year.
Online services are available this year for people to remember Qu Yuan.
People can read about his story, study his poems and send virtual Zong Zi to him
at quyuan.netor.com, a special website devoted to Qu Yuan.
"The variety in celebrations on the festival is probably connected with the
increasing awareness among the public about preserving traditional culture,"
said Lu Ying.
Earlier this year, Chinese experts appealed to set the traditional festival
as legal holiday.
"China should pay more heed to the preservation of traditional culture,
and we should start with the young people," Wu Bing'an, vice-chairman of the
Chinese Folklore Society, told Xinhua News Agency.
Wu said the preservation work should try to maintain its original flavour
"because that's where its true value lies."
The Dragon Boat Festival is said to be one of the three major Chinese
traditional festivals, in addition to the Spring Festival and the Mid-Autumn
Festival.
Also called "Duanyang," "Double 5th" or "Duan Wu," it falls on May 5th of the
Chinese lunar calendar.
According to Zhang Zhongyi, an archaeologist and Qu Yuan researcher, the
festival originated from ancient agriculture in China.
There was a great deal of rainfall in May, which ruined crop seedlings, so
farmers cast rice and wine to worship the God of Rivers so he would bring them a
harvest, Zhang said.
However, the origins of today's festival are more often connected to the
great patriotic and literary figure Qu Yuan.
During the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), Qu Yuan, a poet of the state
of Chu, was removed from office and sent into exile by the duke of Chu. In
sorrow, Qu picked up a heavy stone and drowned himself in the Miluo River on the
fifth day of the fifth lunar month.
The local folk did what they could to search for him and dropped dumplings of
glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves into the river in order to
prevent the fishes from eating Qu Yuan's body.
Since then, it has been customary on this day to eat Zongzi as a memorial to
the patriotic poet.
Dragon boats are long, thin, canoe-like boats often sporting the head of a
dragon on the prow.
It is also traditional for people to clean their houses on this day.
People put up leaves of mugwort or cattail on either side of the door, spray
realgar water, and drink realgar liquor, in order to prevent rot and kill
bacteria to stop the spread of diseases.
