1. Origin: Commemorating Qu Yuan

Eating rice dumplings on the Dragon Boat Festival is now generally recognized to commemorate the great patriotic poet Qu Yuan. Legend has it that in 340 BC, Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet and official of the Chu State, faced the pain of subjugation. On May 5, he threw a large stone into the Miluo River in grief and indignation.

In order to prevent the fish and shrimp from damaging his body, the people packed rice in bamboo tubes and threw them into the river. From then on, in order to express their respect and memory for Qu Yuan, on this day, people would pack rice in bamboo tubes and throw them into the river to pay homage. This is the origin of the earliest rice dumplings in my country, "Tong Zong".

Zongzi appeared as early as the Spring and Autumn Period. By the Jin Dynasty, Zongzi was officially designated as a Dragon Boat Festival food.

2. Meaning:

The original meaning of zongzi was to worship ancestors and gods, because the ancients believed that May 5th was an evil month and day, and it must be eaten every year Sacrificial activities are held on May 5th to ward off plague, drive away evil spirits and seek good luck.

With the passage of time and changes, people eating rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival are a manifestation of inheriting the tradition. There are many types of Zongzi in different regions, but the meaning of eating Zongzi is the same.