The Dragon Boat Festival is one of the most important and widely celebrated traditional festivals in China. The Festival is held on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. This year’s Dragon Boat Festival is June 10, 2024. The Dragon Boat Festival has a history of more than 2,000 years and has various customs and activities, the most famous of which is dragon boat racing and eat Zongzi.
The Dragon Boat Festival is a day for family reunions to commemorate the patriotic poet and minister Qu Yuan from the Warring States Period in ancient China. Qu Yuan was a loyal official but was exiled by the king he served. He despaired of the demise of his motherland and committed suicide by throwing himself into the Miluo River. The locals admired him so much that they set out in boats to rescue him, or at least recover his body. To prevent his body from being eaten by fish, they threw rice dumplings into the river. This is said to be the origin of the traditional holiday food Zongzi, which are pyramid-shaped dumplings made of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves.
Dragon boat racing is the highlight of the Dragon Boat Festival. These competitions are a symbol of saving Qu Yuan and are held by Chinese communities in China’s rivers, lakes and oceans, as well as in many other parts of the world. The boat is long and narrow, with a dragon head in front and a dragon tail in the back. The rhythmic sounds of drummers and the synchronized paddling of rowers create an exciting atmosphere that attracts large crowds.
In addition to dragon boat racing, the festival is celebrated with various other customs and traditions. People hang a holy statue of Zhong Kui, believing that Zhong Kui can ward off evil spirits. They also wear perfume bags and tie five-color silk threads on their wrists to ward off evil spirits. Another popular custom is to wear sachets filled with herbs, believed to ward off disease and evil spirits.
The Dragon Boat Festival is a time for people to come together, strengthen connections and celebrate cultural heritage. This is a festival that embodies the spirit of unity, patriotism and the pursuit of lofty ideals. Dragon boat racing, in particular, is a reminder of the importance of teamwork, determination and perseverance.
In recent years, the Dragon Boat Festival has penetrated deeply into the Chinese community, with people from different cultural backgrounds participating in the celebrations and enjoying the excitement of dragon boat racing. This helps promote cultural exchange and understanding, and preserves and promotes the rich traditions of the festival.
To sum up, the Dragon Boat Festival is a time-honored tradition that is of great significance in Chinese culture. This is a time for people to remember the past, celebrate the present and look forward to the future. The festival’s iconic dragon boat racing and its customs and traditions continue to fascinate people from around the world, making it a truly special and cherished event.
In May 2006, the State Council included the Dragon Boat Festival in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists. Since 2008, the Dragon Boat Festival has been listed as a national statutory holiday. In September 2009, UNESCO officially approved its inclusion in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, making the Dragon Boat Festival the first Chinese festival to be selected as a world intangible cultural heritage.
Post time: Jul-02-2024