How much do you know about the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival? It is estimated that most people think that the Dragon Boat Festival is to commemorate the Qu Yuan, about the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival, in fact, there are many legends, the following we will one by one inventory of these legends ~

The first statement: to commemorate the Qu Yuan

This statement was first recorded in the Southern Liang Dynasty, Wu Jun, "renewed Qiharmonic Records," as well as the Southern and Northern Dynasties Liang Zong Security Department, "Jing Chu Years and Years Record". Legend has it that Qu Yuan threw himself into the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth month, and was trapped by a dragon after his death, and the world was so saddened by this event that whenever this day came around, he would throw five-colored silk dumplings into the water in order to drive away the dragon.

There is also a legend that Qu Yuan cast Miluo River, the local people heard immediately rowing boats to rescue, has been searching to the Dongting Lake, the end of the Qu Yuan's body. At that time, coinciding with the rainy day, the lake boat together gathered at the shore of the pavilion. When people learned that they were salvaging the wise minister Qu Daifu, they braved the rain again and scrambled to row into the vast Dongting Lake.

In order to send their condolences, people swung the boat on the river, after which it gradually developed into a dragon boat race. It seems that the Dragon Boat Festival to eat zongzi, dragon boat racing and commemorate the Qu Yuan is related, here is the Tang Dynasty Wenxiu "Dragon Boat Festival" poem as evidence: "Festival points Dragon Boat Festival since who said that the rumors of the ancient for Qu Yuan. I can laugh at the emptiness of the Chu River, but I can't wash away the injustice of the upright ministers."

The second theory: to commemorate Wu Zixu

Wu Zixu, together with the thrilling history of the Spring and Autumn Period between Wu and Yue, has remained in the memory of the Chinese forever. According to folklore, he became the god of Tao after his death. Widely circulated in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, the Dragon Boat Festival commemorates Wu Zixu during the Spring and Autumn Period.

Wu Zixu, whose name was Yu, was a native of the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period. The Wu Zixu family was very famous in the state of Chu. His ancestor Wu Ju was a famous minister of Chu who was credited with speaking out against King Zhuang of Chu, and his father Wu She was the teacher of Prince Jian of Chu. In 522 B.C., Wu Zixu fled to the state of Wu after his father, Wu She, his brother, Wu Shang, and his entire family of more than 100 people were killed by King Ping of Chu. He became acquainted with Duke Ziguang of Wu and helped him to seize the throne as King Helu of Wu. In order to enable the state of Wu to defend itself internally and respond to the enemy externally, he advised King Helu of Wu to "first establish a city and a fortress, set up defenses, make a solid endowment of warehouses, and rule military and leather", and was instructed to personally choose the site of the capital city of Wu. He "Xiangtu tasted water", "like heaven and earth", and finally selected the city site, rational planning, the construction of the Helu large city. The city of Helu was built on the site of a large city, which is known as Suzhou today.

Wu Zixu was a great strategist and trusted by King Helu of Wu. He faithfully helped King Helu of Wu break the strong Chu in the west, conquer Qi and Jin in the north, and subdue the Yue people in the south, and the state of Wu reached its heyday. After the death of King Helu of Wu, he continued to assist Fu Chai to take the throne and helped Wu defeat the Yue. Wu Zixu analyzed that due to the natural conditions of Wu and Yue, only one of them could survive, so he advocated that Yue must be destroyed. However, King Fu-chai of Wu was so proud of his achievements that he listened to the slanderous words of Bo Qiu and allowed the Yue to be preserved. He allowed Yue to be preserved and gave Wu Zixu a death sentence. On the fifth day of the fifth month, Wu Zixu's body was thrown into the river in leather. Three years after Wu Zixu's death, the state of Wu was destroyed by Yue, and Fu Chai committed suicide with his face covered, and the people of Wu missed Wu Zixu, the pillar of the state, even more. For thousands of years, it has been rumored in Jiangsu and Zhejiang that Wu Zixu's loyal soul was transformed into a god of Tao after his death, and the Dragon Boat Festival is a day to commemorate Wu Zixu.

The third theory: honoring the filial daughter Cao'e

The Cao'e Temple enshrines the goddess Cao'e. This seems to be an ancient Chinese tradition. It seems to be an ancient Chinese tradition that a person with certain virtues, even if not happy in life, can be immortalized as a deity after death. Cao E's filial piety has touched the hearts of countless generations to come. Some people believe that the Dragon Boat Festival is a day to honor Cao's memory.

Cao E is the Eastern Han Dynasty Shangyu people father drowned in the river for several days without seeing the body of the filial daughter Cao E was only fourteen years old, day and night along the river howling, after seventeen days in the fifth of May to throw the river, five days after the embrace of the father's body. It is said that the turbulent Cao'e River water in the flow through the Cao'e Temple is always calm, the local people believe that it is because the river is consciously ashamed of the filial daughter Cao'e. Until now, Cao'e River, regardless of the rapid tide fierce, the river rushing roar, a Cao'e Temple in front, immediately become silent, as if ashamed of filial daughter, quietly disappear, over the door of Cao'e Temple, only to dare to make a sound again, really called people sigh for a miracle. It is said that the day Cao E threw herself into the river was the fifth day of the fifth month, therefore, many people regard the Dragon Boat Festival as a day of remembrance of the filial daughter Cao E.

The fourth argument: a festival in honor of the dragon

This argument comes from Wen Yiduo's Duanwu Kao and The Historical Education of Duanwu. According to Wen Yiduo, the fifth day of the fifth month was the day when the "dragon" tribes in the ancient Wu-Yue region held totem sacrifices. The main reason is: first, the two most important activities of the Dragon Boat Festival, eating zongzi and racing, are related to the dragon. Zongzi into the water is often stolen by the dragon, while the race is used in the dragon boat. Secondly, the race and the ancient wu yue local relationship is particularly deep, and wu yue people have broken hair tattoo "to like the dragon" custom. Third, in ancient times, on the fifth day of May, there is a "colorful silk arm" folk custom, which should be "like the Dragon" tattoo custom remains.

The fifth theory: to commemorate the evil day

It is said that in the pre-Qin period, the common belief that the month of May is a poisonous month, the fifth is the evil day. The chapter "Zhongxia ji" in Lu Shi Chun Qiu (The Spring and Autumn Annals of Lu Shi) stipulated that people should abstain from sex and fast in May. It is also written in Xia Xiaozheng: "This day is for storing medicines in order to remit the poisonous gas." Song Huizong Zhao Ji was born on the fifth day of the fifth month, and was fostered outside the palace since childhood. From this, we can see that the ancient belief that the fifth day of May is a bad day, this is a common phenomenon. Can be seen from the pre-Qin later, this day are unlucky day. In this way, in this day insert Ju Pu, mugwort leaves to drive away ghosts, lavender Cangzhu, dahurica and drink Xionghuang wine to avoid the epidemic, is a logical thing.

Duanwu Customs

Dragon Boat Racing

Dragon Boat Racing before the first to invite the dragon, sacrifices to the gods. Such as Guangdong dragon boat, in the Dragon Boat Festival before to get up from underwater, sacrificed in the South China Sea Temple in the South China Sea God, after the dragon head, dragon tail, and then ready to race, and buy a pair of paper cockerel placed on the dragon boat, that the boat can be blessed with peace. Min, Taiwan is to the Mazu Temple worship. Some directly in the river to sacrifice the dragon head, kill the chicken blood on the dragon head, such as Sichuan, Guizhou and other individual areas. Miluo County, Hunan, before the race must first to the Qu Zi Temple Temple, will be offered to the dragon head in the words of the gods in the Weng worship, Phi red cloth on the dragon head, and then An dragon head on the boat race, both worship the Dragon God, but also to commemorate the Qu Yuan.

The above is my understanding of a few legends about the Dragon Boat Festival and Dragon Boat Festival customary dragon boat race a simple introduction, partners you still know what Dragon Boat Festival legends? Welcome to add, let's see you in the comments section~