The Dragon Boat Festival is one of the ancient traditional festivals of the Chinese nation. Starting from the Warring States period, the Dragon Boat Festival has existed for more than two thousand years now. There are many stories about the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival, among which the story of honoring Qu Yuan has the widest influence. There is also a theory that the Dragon Boat Festival was initially a festival for the Chinese to get rid of diseases and prevent epidemics.

The origin of the Dragon Boat Festival is a matter of opinion.

In honor of Qu Yuan

In 278 B.C., the Qin army attacked the capital of Chu. Qu Yuan saw his country being invaded, and his heart was cut to pieces, so he threw himself into the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth month. After the death of Qu Yuan, the people of Chu grieved abnormally, have flocked to the Miluo River to visit Qu Yuan, there is a Dragon Boat Race, eat zongzi custom.

In Memory of Wu Zixu

Wu Zixu helped Wu to conquer Chu and suggested that the state of Yue should be completely eliminated, but King Fu-chai of Wu refused to listen. Zixu said to his neighbors, "When I die, I will gouge out my eyes and hang them on the east gate of the capital of Wu, so that I can see the army of Yue enter the city and destroy Wu", and then he cut his own throat and died. Therefore, according to legend, the Dragon Boat Festival is also a day to commemorate Wu Zixu

In honor of Cao E

Cao E is a native of Shangyu in the Eastern Han Dynasty, her father was drowned in the river, and his body was not seen for several days, and she was only fourteen years old at that time, and she cried along the river day and night. After seventeen days, she threw herself into the river on May 5, and carried her father's body out five days later. To commemorate Cao E's filial piety, a Cao E Temple was built at the place where Cao E threw herself into the river.

Evil Day

In the pre-Qin era, it was widely believed that May was a poisonous month, and the fifth day of the month was an evil day, which was rumored to be a day when evil sycophants were in charge of the country, and the five poisons came out at the same time. The chapter "Zhong Xia Ji" in "Lu Shi Chun Qiu" stipulates that people should abstain from sex and fasting in May. In ancient times, the fifth day of May for the evil day, is a common phenomenon. Calamus and moxa leaves were inserted on this day to drive away ghosts, fumigate Cangzhu and Angelica dahurica and drink Xionghuang wine to avoid epidemics.

Reading the Dragon Boat Festival, poetry records

Border City (excerpt)

Wen Shen Congwen

Duanwu Day, the local women and children, all wearing new clothes, the forehead corner of the Xionghuang wine dipped in the word drawn a king. Anyone can eat fish and meat on this day. About eleven o'clock in the morning or so, the whole Chadong people ate lunch, after the meal, in the city to live at home, not lock the door, the whole family out of the city to the river to see the rowing boat. River Street has acquaintances, you can go to the river street hammock door side to see, or else stand in front of the tax gate and the various docks to see. The dragon boat starts at a place in Changtan and finishes in front of the tax gate to compete in the race. On this day, the officers and tax collectors, as well as local dignitaries, watch the competition in front of the tax gate.

Rowing the boat in a few days before the people have prepared, divided into groups of gangs, each selected a number of strong body hands and feet clever young man, in the pool to practice in and out. The form of the boat, and the usual wooden boat is very different, the shape of all long and narrow, the two ends of the high up, the hull painted with a long line of vermilion color, the usual season more in the river side of the dry cave, when you want to use it, dragged down to the water.

Each boat can sit twelve to eighteen oarsmen, a leader, a drummer, a gong player. The oarsmen each hold a short oar and row the boat forward to the beat of the drums. The leader sits on the bow of the boat, his head wrapped in red cloth, holding two small flags in his hands, waving them around, directing the boat's advance and retreat. Drums and gongs, mostly sitting in the middle of the boat, the boat rowing will be instantly pong pong pang pang the drums and gongs very simple to beat up for the oarsmen to regulate the paddle beat.

A boat fast and slow both had to rely on the drums, so whenever the two boats race to the intense, drums such as thunder, coupled with the people on both sides of the shouting and cheering, it reminds people of Liang Hongyu storks when the old water war drums, Niu Gao water to capture the youngest Yang is also a water war drums. Where the boat rowed to the front of a little bit, will be able to receive a reward in front of the tax pass, a red, a small silver medal, not bound to hang to a person on the boat head, all show that the boat cooperation honor. The good thing about the soldiers, and when each time a boat victory, will be in the water's edge to put some of the victory celebration of 500 firecrackers.

After the boat race, the garrison chief of the city, in order to have fun with the people, to increase the pleasantness of this festival, they will put the green head and long neck male ducks, neck and shoulders tied with red cloth strips, put into the river, as far as possible to be good at swimming in the water of the army and the people, go into the water to chase the ducks. No matter who caught the duck, who will become the owner of the duck. So Changtan has a new pattern, there are ducks everywhere on the water, and there are people chasing the ducks everywhere at the same time.

The race of the boat and the boat, and the race of the people and the ducks, was not over until late in the day.

Duanwu (Dragon Boat Festival)

Tang Wenxiu

Who said that the festival is divided into Dragon Boat Festival?

Wanjiu was rumored to be Qu Yuan.

It is a pity that the Chu River is so empty,

it cannot wash away the injustice of the upright ministers.

Fisherman's Pride?

Song Ouyang Xiu

May pomegranate blossoms are baked, green poplar with rain hanging heavy. The first thing you need to do is to get your hands on a new pair of rice cakes, and then you'll be able to get your hands on a new pair of rice cakes.

It is the time to take a bath in the orchid, and the calamus wine is beautiful and clear. The first thing you need to do is to get your hands on a pair of shoes or boots, and you will be able to see the shoes or boots in your own skin.

Raccoon Brook Sand? Duanwu

Song Su Shi

Light sweat slightly through the blue dandy, Ming Dynasty Duanwu bath Fanglan. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do that, but I'm going to be able to do it," he said.

The colorful threads are lightly wrapped around the red jade arms, and the small symbols are hung diagonally on the green cloudy hair. I've been seeing you for a thousand years.

Small heavy mountain? Duanwu (Dragon Boat Festival)

Yuanshu Di

Bi Ai is busy everywhere. Whose children are celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival? The five colors of the arms are long and thin. I'm disappointed, who will be the one to hang up the Yuanxiang River?

The past is not to be measured. The first time I read this article, I was very happy to see you. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to get through this, but I'm going to be able to get through it. No one understands the coolness of the trees.

Duanwu Customs, Characterized by Dragon Boat Racing

Dragon boat racing is common in the southern part of China, while in the north most of them will row dry dragon boats or dance dragon boats. When rowing a dragon boat, there are many dragon boat songs to cheer. Such as zigui in hubei province rowing dragon boat, there is a complete cantata, words and music according to the local folk songs and horns fusion and become, the song is majestic and beautiful, heart-stopping, "raise the bow and the phase and" the legacy of the wind.

Hanging mugwort, calamus and banyan branches

Mugwort, calamus and garlic are known as the "three friends of the Dragon Boat Festival", also known as the "three weapons", which the ancients believed could retreat from snakes, bugs, germs, and eliminate demons. In some places, mugwort, calamus (Pu Jian) or pomegranate and garlic are hung in front of the door during the Dragon Boat Festival. Usually, moxa, banyan and calamus are tied into a bundle with red paper and then inserted or hung on the door.

Painting foreheads

The custom of painting children's foreheads with xionghuang during the Dragon Boat Festival is to ward off poisonous insects. Typical method is to use the male yellow wine in the children's forehead painting "king" word, a borrowed male yellow to drive away poison, the second borrowed tiger ("king" like the tiger's forehead, tiger is the king of the beasts) in order to suppress the evil.

Wearing a scented bag

Wearing a scented bag is quite delicate. Older people to prevent disease and fitness, generally like to wear peaches, apples, dolls hold roosters and other shapes, symbolizing all the best, family harmony. Children like is the flying birds and animals. Young people, if it is a passionate lover, that amorous girl very early to elaborate chic scented bags, rushed to give their lover before the festival.

Bathing orchid soup

Duanwu day bathing orchid soup is the "Dai Dai Li" recorded ancient custom. However, the orchid in the text is not orchid, but Peilan, a member of the chrysanthemum family, which is fragrant and can be decocted for bathing. Later on, it was generally used to bathe with decocted bushes, mugwort and other herbs. In Guangdong, flowers and herbs such as mugwort, bushes and magnolia are used.

Drinking Pu Wine and Xionghuang Wine

Jingchu Shoushi Ji (Records of the Years and Times of Jingchu) reads, "Take calamus or skeletonize it or chip it to cold wine." The flavor of Pu wine is aromatic and refreshing, and later on, andrographis and vermilion were added to the wine. This custom is widely spread.