Dragon boat racing

Dragon boat racing is the main custom of the Dragon Boat Festival. According to legend, it originated from the ancient Chu people who were reluctant to leave their virtuous minister Qu Yuan and threw himself into the river. Many people rowed boats to chase and save him. They scrambled to catch up and disappeared when they reached Dongting Lake. After that, dragon boat racing was held every May 5th to commemorate the event. He rowed dragon boats to disperse the fish in the river to prevent them from eating Qu Yuan's body. The custom of racing was popular in Wu, Yue and Chu.

In fact, "dragon boat racing" has been around since the Warring States Period. Carving a canoe into the shape of a dragon amidst the sound of drums and playing a boat racing game to entertain gods and people is a semi-religious and semi-entertaining program in the ritual.

Later, in addition to commemorating Qu Yuan, people in various places also attached different meanings to the dragon boat race.

Dragon boat racing in Jiangsu and Zhejiang also has the significance of commemorating Qiu Jin, a modern female democratic revolutionary born there. On the night dragon boat, lights and colorful decorations are lit, and people shuttle back and forth. The scenes on the water and under the water are moving and unique. The Miao people of Guizhou hold the "Dragon Boat Festival" from the 25th to the 28th of the fifth lunar month to celebrate the success of rice transplanting and wish for a good harvest. Compatriots of the Dai ethnic group in Yunnan compete in dragon boats during the Water Splashing Festival to commemorate the ancient hero Yan Hongwo. Different ethnic groups and different regions have different legends about dragon boat racing. To this day, in many areas in the south near rivers, lakes and seas, dragon boat races with their own characteristics are held every year during the Dragon Boat Festival.

In the 29th year of Qianlong’s reign in the Qing Dynasty (1736), dragon boat racing began in Taiwan. At that time, the prefect of Taiwan, Chiang Yuan-jun, hosted a friendly match at the Half-Moon Pool of Fahua Temple in Tainan City. Taiwan now holds a dragon boat race every May 5th. In Hong Kong, ferry races are also held.

In addition, dragon boat racing has also been introduced to neighboring countries such as Japan, Vietnam and the United Kingdom. In 1980, dragon boat racing was included in China's national sports competitions, and the "Qu Yuan Cup" dragon boat race is held every year. On June 16, 1991 (the fifth day of the fifth lunar month), the first International Dragon Boat Festival was held in Qu Yuan's second hometown, Yueyang City, Hunan Province, China. Before the race, a "Dragon Head Sacrifice" was held that not only preserved the traditional ceremony but also injected new modern elements. The "dragon head" is carried into the Quzi Temple. After the athletes "glamorize" (put on a red belt) the dragon head, the officiant reads the sacrificial text and "consecrates" (i.e. lights up) the dragon head. Then, all the participants in the dragon ceremony bowed three times, and the dragon's head was carried to the Miluo River and rushed to the dragon boat racing venue. More than 600,000 people participated in the competitions, trade fairs and party activities this time, which was an unprecedented event. Since then, Hunan has held the International Dragon Boat Festival regularly. Dragon boat racing will be popular all over the world.

Eating rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival

Eating rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival is another traditional custom of the Chinese people. Zongzi, also called "corner millet" and "tube rice dumpling". It has a long history and has many variations.

According to records, as early as the Spring and Autumn Period, rice was wrapped in wild rice leaves (wild rice leaves) into the shape of horns, which was called "horn millet"; rice was packed in bamboo tubes, sealed and roasted, called "tube rice dumplings". At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, millet was soaked in plant ash water. Because the water contained alkali, the millet was wrapped in wild rice leaves into a square shape and cooked to become Guangdong alkaline rice dumplings.

In the Jin Dynasty, rice dumplings were officially designated as the Dragon Boat Festival food. At this time, in addition to glutinous rice, the raw materials for making rice dumplings were also added with the traditional Chinese medicine Yizhiren. The cooked rice dumplings were called "Yizhizong". Zhou Chu's "Yueyang Fengtu Ji" records: "It is customary to wrap millet with wild rice leaves,...boil it, combine it thoroughly, and eat it from May 5th to the summer solstice. It is called rice dumplings and millet." During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Zongzi appeared. Rice is adulterated with animal meat, chestnuts, red dates, adzuki beans, etc., and the varieties are increasing. Zongzi is also used as a gift for social interactions.

By the Tang Dynasty, the rice used for rice dumplings had become as white as jade, and its shape appeared cone-shaped and rhombus-shaped. "Datang Zongzi" is recorded in Japanese literature. In the Song Dynasty, there was already "preserved rice dumplings", that is, rice dumplings with fruits. The poet Su Dongpo once wrote a poem: "Sometimes I see bayberry in rice dumplings." At this time, there were also advertisements using rice dumplings to build pavilions and pavilions, wooden carts and horses, indicating that eating rice dumplings had become fashionable in the Song Dynasty. During the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, the wrapping material of Zongzi changed from wild rice leaves to Ruo leaves. Later, Zongzi wrapped in reed leaves appeared. The additional ingredients include bean paste, pork, pine nuts, dates, walnuts, etc., and the varieties became more colorful.

On the morning of the Dragon Boat Festival, every family eats rice dumplings to commemorate Qu Yuan. They usually wrap the rice dumplings the day before, cook them at night, and eat them in the morning. Zongzi is mainly made of tender reed leaves that are abundant along river ponds. Bamboo leaves are also used, collectively called zongzi leaves. The traditional form of rice dumplings is triangular, and they are generally named according to the inner pulp. Those made with glutinous rice are called rice dumplings, those with adzuki beans mixed in rice are called adzuki rice dumplings, and those mixed with red dates are called jujube rice dumplings. At most, children who want to study can get the top prize early by eating it. In the past, scholars would eat jujube rice dumplings in the morning on the day they took the imperial examination. Today, parents also make jujube rice dumplings for candidates to eat on the morning of the entrance exams for middle schools and universities.

Be sure to boil eggs in the pot for cooking rice dumplings, and if possible, boil some duck eggs and goose eggs. After eating sweet rice dumplings dipped in sugar, you should eat eggs dipped in salt to top them off. It is said that eating boiled eggs in the rice dumpling pot in May will prevent you from getting sores in the summer; eating duck eggs and goose eggs boiled in the rice dumpling pot in the sun at noon for a while will prevent headaches throughout the summer.

To this day, every year in early May, Chinese people soak glutinous rice, wash rice dumpling leaves, and make rice dumplings, with more varieties of colors. In terms of fillings, in the north there are many Beijing date rice dumplings stuffed with jujubes; in the south there are various fillings such as bean paste, fresh meat, ham, egg yolks, etc., among which Jiaxing rice dumplings in Zhejiang are the representative ones.

The custom of eating rice dumplings has been popular in China for thousands of years and has spread to North Korea, Japan and other Southeast Asian countries.

Wearing sachets

Children wear sachets during the Dragon Boat Festival. Legend has it that they are meant to ward off evil spirits and repel plague. They are actually used to decorate their lapels. The sachet contains cinnabar, realgar and fragrant medicine, and is wrapped with silk cloth, which overflows with fragrance. Five-color silk strings are then tied into ropes and made into various shapes to form a string. They are colorful, exquisite and cute. ★In some southern cities in China, young men and women also use sachets to express their love.

Calamus with moxa leaves

Folk proverb says: "Put willows during the Qingming Festival and moxa during the Dragon Boat Festival." During the Dragon Boat Festival, people regard planting mugwort and calamus as one of the important contents. Every family sweeps the courtyard, inserts calamus and moxa sticks in the eyebrows of the door, and hangs them in the hall. They also use calamus, mugwort leaves, pomegranate flowers, garlic, and dragon boat flowers to make human or tiger shapes, which are called mugwort people and mugwort tigers. They are also made into garlands and ornaments, which are beautiful and fragrant. Women rush to wear them to drive away miasma.

Ai, also known as mugwort and mugwort. Its stems and leaves contain volatile aromatic oils. The peculiar aroma it produces can repel mosquitoes, flies, insects and ants, and purify the air. In traditional Chinese medicine, moxa moxa is used as medicine to regulate qi and blood, warm the uterus, and remove cold and dampness. The moxa leaves are processed into "moxa velvet", which is an important medicinal material for moxibustion treatment.

Calamus is a perennial aquatic herb. Its long and narrow leaves also contain volatile aromatic oils, which are medicines that can refresh the mind, strengthen bones, eliminate stagnation, and kill insects and bacteria.

It can be seen that the ancients planted moxa and calamus to prevent diseases to a certain extent. The Dragon Boat Festival is also a "health festival" passed down from ancient times. On this day, people sweep the courtyard, hang mugwort branches, hanging calamus, sprinkle realgar water, and drink realgar wine to stimulate turbidity, remove decay, and kill bacteria and prevent diseases. These activities also reflect the fine traditions of the Chinese nation. Going to the mountains to collect herbs during the Dragon Boat Festival is a common custom among all ethnic groups in my country.

The hanging statue of Zhong Kui

Zhong Kui catching ghosts is a Dragon Boat Festival custom. In the Jianghuai area, every family hangs a statue of Zhongkui to guard the house and ward off evil spirits. During the reign of Emperor Ming of the Tang Dynasty, when he returned to the palace from a martial arts lecture at Mount Li, malaria broke out. He dreamed of two ghosts, one big and one small. The little ghost wore bright red crotchless pants, stole Concubine Yang's sachet and Emperor Ming's jade flute, and ran around the palace. The big ghost wore a blue robe and a hat, caught the little ghost, gouged out its eyes, and swallowed them in one gulp. Emperor Ming asked, and the ghost said: My surname is Zhong Kui. I failed in the martial arts examination, and I would like to eliminate demons for your majesty. After Emperor Ming woke up, he recovered from the malaria, so he ordered the painter Wu Daozi to paint a picture of Zhong Kui catching ghosts based on what he saw in his dream. The portraits were ordered to be posted all over the world during the Dragon Boat Festival to drive away evil spirits.

According to legend, Zhong Kui was born in the Tang Dynasty. He went to Chang'an to take the examination and won the first prize. He was dismissed because of his poor appearance. He was angry and died on the palace steps. Later, he entrusted the dream to Emperor Ming of Tang Dynasty, determined to annihilate the devils in the world. At that time, the palace was haunted by ghosts. Emperor Ming of the Tang Dynasty summoned the great painter Wu Daozi to paint "Zhong Kui's Ghost Hunting Picture" based on what he saw in his dream. He hung this painting at the gate of the palace to drive away evil spirits and suppress evil spirits, so that the palace became peaceful. Emperor Ming of the Tang Dynasty named Zhong Kui the "Great Exorcist God". As a result, Zhong Kui's statues traveled all over the world, cutting off ghosts and making great achievements. Later, in mythology and legend, he was named the "Exorcist Emperor" by the Jade Emperor. People hang a statue of Zhong Kui on the Dragon Boat Festival to ward off ghosts and evil spirits, and to hope for family peace.

Hanging purses and tying five-color silk thread

Ying Shao's "Customs" records: "On May 5th, colorful silk is tied to the arm, and the name will be long-lived, and the name will be continued. One life is to protect soldiers, one is Wu Selu, and the other is Zhu Suo, which is to protect soldiers and ghosts, and protect people from diseases."

In ancient China, five colors were worshiped and regarded as auspicious colors. Therefore, in the early morning of the festival, the first important thing that adults do after getting up is to tie five-color threads on their children's wrists, ankles, and necks. When tying the thread, children are prohibited from speaking. The five-colored thread cannot be broken or discarded at will. It can only be thrown into the river during the first heavy rain in summer or the first bath. It is said that children wearing the five-colored thread can avoid harm from poisonous insects such as snakes and scorpions; throwing it into the river means that the river water will wash away plagues and diseases, so that the children can be safe and healthy.

Volume 8 of Meng Yuanlao's "Tokyo Menghua Lu" records: Dragon Boat Festival items include Bai Suo, moxa flowers, silver drums, colorful painted fans, fragrant candies, small rice dumplings, and white balls. Perilla, calamus, and papaya are all cut into velvet velvet, mixed with fragrant herbs, and wrapped in a plum-red box. Starting from May 1st and the day before the Dragon Boat Festival, peaches, willows, sunflowers, cattail leaves, and Buddha moxa are sold. The next day, every family laid it out at the front of the door and offered it with five-color water balls, tea and wine. He also nailed Ai Ren to the door, and the scholars and common people gave each other a feast.

Chen Shiliang's "Sui Sui Guang Ji" quoted from "Sui Sui Za Ji" mentioned a kind of "Duanwu Festival made of red and white colors like a bag, with colorful threads running through it, making it look like a flower shape, or with or Nailed on the door with a red tongue and a white tongue, it is also called money-making." And another kind of "clam powder bell": "On the Dragon Boat Festival, put clam powder into the silk, and decorate it with cotton, like a few beads. Let the children wear it to absorb sweat." The contents of these portable bags have changed several times, from Clam powder to absorb sweat, talismans to ward off evil spirits, copper coins, and realgar powder to repel insects have developed into sachets containing spices, and their production has become increasingly sophisticated, becoming unique folk arts and crafts of the Dragon Boat Festival.

Similarly, there is drinking realgar wine: this custom is very popular among people in the Yangtze River Basin. Traveling with all kinds of diseases: This custom is popular in the Dragon Boat Festival customs in Guizhou area.

Hidden Five

In the fifth month of the lunar calendar, the scorching heat is approaching and plague and poisonous insects breed. In ancient times, May was called the "evil month". The fifth day of May is considered an unlucky day. On this day, parents will take children under one year old to their grandmother's house to hide in order to avoid bad luck.

Sending time

When the Dragon Boat Festival comes in the Central Plains area, the natal family of a newly married girl will give the man a straw hat, a rain fan, a mat, etc. before or during the festival. In order to prevent heat and rain, the Dragon Boat Festival is also called the "Send-off Season".

Repelling the five poisons

The five poisons refer to the five poisonous insects: scorpions, centipedes, poisonous snakes, newts and geckos. "On the Dragon Boat Festival, the weather is hot; the five poisons are awakened and there is no peace." So on the Dragon Boat Festival, people put paper-cut images of the five poisons on their doors to avoid their poisons. In some places, another needle is stuck on the head of the Five Poison Figures, indicating that they will be nailed and eliminated. Expelling the five poisons reflects people's good wishes to eliminate harmful diseases and prevent diseases.

Eating chicken, duck and goose eggs

It is popular all over the country. On the morning of the Dragon Boat Festival, elders in Northeast China roll cooked chicken, duck and goose eggs on children's bellies, and then peel them for the children to eat. It is said that this can prevent children from having stomachaches, but it is actually a kind of fun during the festival. children's games. In other areas, cooking is the main activity. It is said that it was originally thrown into the river to feed fish and shrimp to save Qu Yuan's body from being harmed by fish and shrimp, and later evolved into cooking to commemorate it.

Boiled garlic

Garlic is a traditional Chinese medicine with a pungent and sweet taste that can kill viruses and sterilize. Cooked food can clear gastrointestinal toxins and dredge blood vessels. On the morning of the Dragon Boat Festival, the custom in most parts of the country is to cook new garlic to dredge blood vessels and disinfect.

Broken Fire Eyes

Dragon Boat Festival customs in Nanjing, Jiangsu. On that day, put an appropriate amount of realgar in a bowl of water, throw in two copper coins, and the whole family uses this water to wash their eyes. It is said that it can prevent and treat eyelids. Realgar has the effect of sterilization and detoxification. This has certain benefits.

Traveling for all diseases

Dragon Boat Festival customs in Guizhou area. On the Dragon Boat Festival, men, women and children of all ages wear new clothes, bring food and go out for a day of fun. They collect wild flowers and herbs in the mountains and fields, and bring them back with water to boil and take a bath in the evening. The locals call this move "you Baibing" or "washing away all diseases", and believe that doing so will bring good luck and peace in the year.

Ribbon-cut gourd

Use colored paper to cut into the shape of a gourd and stick it upside down on the front of the door during the Dragon Boat Festival, which means pouring out poisonous gas.

Drink realgar wine

Realgar is a kind of traditional Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine books say that realgar can cure hundreds of insect poisons and injuries from insects and animals. Therefore, there is a folk saying that "drinking realgar wine will keep away all diseases." "Go", "Drinking realgar and calamus wine on May 5th can eliminate all diseases and ban all insects", "Bringing realgar into the mountains will not be afraid of snakes" and other common sayings. Before the invention of iodine, Chinese people used white wine mixed with realgar and alum water to apply poisonous insect stings and mosquito bites. The familiar "Legend of the White Snake" once described: During the Dragon Boat Festival, Xu Xian listened to Fahai's words and let the White Snake drink realgar wine to reveal her true form. Nowadays, many places spray realgar water inside and outside the house during the Dragon Boat Festival, and smear realgar water on children's ears, noses and foreheads. However, according to modern scientific analysis, realgar is toxic and should not be taken internally.