The origin of the Dragon Boat Festival is related to the ancient Chinese poet Qu Yuan. Qu Yuan was a minister of the State of Chu during the Warring States Period. He was committed to the reform of the country, but he was attacked and persecuted by villains. In the end, Qu Yuan threw himself into the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth month. In order to commemorate him, people began to hold various activities on this day, such as eating zongzi and dragon boat racing. The Dragon Boat Festival was also known as a festival to commemorate Qu Yuan.
The Dragon Boat Festival was established to commemorate the patriotic poet Qu Yuan. Qu Yuan was a national scholar of the Chu State. He advocated appointing talents to enrich the country and strengthen the army. He strongly advocated uniting with Qi to resist Qin. However, he was opposed by nobles like Zi Lan and was framed by slander. In the end, he was driven out of the capital by the King of Chu and exiled to the Xiang River. Qu Yuan wrote a poem about his country and people in exile. In 278 B.C., the Qin army broke through the capital of the State of Chu. Qu Yuan saw that his motherland was being invaded and felt as if his heart was cut by a knife. In the end, he chose to commit suicide by jumping into the river to express his love and loyalty to his motherland. The customs of the Dragon Boat Festival, such as eating zongzi and dragon boat racing, are all related to the memory of Qu Yuan.
There are many theories about the origins of the Dragon Boat Festival, but the most widely circulated one is to commemorate Qu Yuan. According to legend, Qu Yuan, a poet of the State of Chu during the Warring States Period, committed suicide by jumping into the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth month. The people of the State of Chu established the Dragon Boat Festival to commemorate him. Qu Yuan was a patriotic poet. He was exiled because of his loyalty to the country. His loyalty and patriotic spirit are worth learning from. In order to commemorate him, people began to hold sacrificial activities on the fifth day of May every year. Later, it gradually evolved into the current Dragon Boat Festival. There were other explanations about the origins of the Dragon Boat Festival, such as in memory of Wu Zixu, filial daughter Cao E, Jie Zitui, honest official Chen Lin, King Gou Jian of Yue, etc., but these explanations were not as widely known as in memory of Qu Yuan.
The Dragon Boat Festival originated from the ancient Chinese tribes in the Baiyue region who held totem sacrifices. At first, the Baiyue region held a tribal totem sacrifice in the form of dragon boat races on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Later, Qu Yuan, a poet of the State of Chu during the Warring States Period, committed suicide by jumping into the Miluo River on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival. In order to establish a loyal and patriotic label, the rulers made the Dragon Boat Festival a festival to commemorate Qu Yuan. One of the main customs of the Dragon Boat Festival was dragon boat racing. People rowed dragon boats in memory of Qu Yuan and used it to drive away the fish in the river so as not to eat Qu Yuan's body. Another important custom was to eat zongzi, which was a traditional food wrapped in glutinous rice. It was usually eaten on the morning of the Dragon Boat Festival. Since ancient times, the Dragon Boat Festival had included activities such as rowing dragon boats and eating dumplings. Since 2008, the Dragon Boat Festival has been listed as a national legal holiday. In 2006 and 2009, it was included in the national intangible cultural heritage list and the world intangible cultural heritage list respectively.
The Dragon Boat Festival originated from the Baiyue region in ancient China. It was originally a festival for the tribes who worshipped the dragon totem to hold totem sacrifices. According to legend, Qu Yuan, a poet of the State of Chu during the Warring States Period, committed suicide by jumping into the Miluo River on the Dragon Boat Festival. In order to commemorate him, the ruler made the Dragon Boat Festival a festival to commemorate Qu Yuan. The Dragon Boat Festival was also said to commemorate other people, such as Wu Zixu and Cao E. The customs of the Dragon Boat Festival include rowing the dragon boat and eating zongzi. The Dragon Boat Festival was listed as a national legal holiday and was included in the national intangible cultural heritage list and the world intangible cultural heritage.
The Dragon Boat Festival originated from ancient China. It was originally a festival held in the ancient Baiyue region to offer sacrifices to totems. Later, because the poet Qu Yuan of Chu committed suicide by jumping into the Miluo River on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, the ruler made the Dragon Boat Festival a festival to commemorate Qu Yuan. The customs of the Dragon Boat Festival include dragon boat racing and eating zongzi. Dragon boat racing was the main custom of the Dragon Boat Festival. It was said that it originated from the ancient Chu people who rowed a boat to save Qu Yuan. Every year on May 5th, they rowed a dragon boat to commemorate him. Eating zongzi was to commemorate Qu Yuan. Now, there were various flavors of zongzi for people to choose from. The Dragon Boat Festival was one of the most important festivals in ancient China, and it was also one of the traditional cultural festivals in China.
There were many theories about the origins of the Dragon Boat Festival. One theory was that it originated from the worship of natural phenomena and evolved from the dragon sacrifice in ancient times. It was related to the changes in the astronomical phenomena of the seven constellations of the eastern black dragon. In spring, it raised its head in the east, in summer, it rose in the south, in autumn, it retreated in the west, and in winter, it disappeared below the northern horizon. Another saying was to commemorate Qu Yuan. Qu Yuan committed suicide by jumping into the river on the fifth day of May. People designated this day as the Dragon Boat Festival in memory of him. In addition, in ancient Wu (now Suzhou area), there was a view that it was to commemorate Wu Zixu; some places in Zhejiang believed that it was to commemorate the filial daughter Cao E. The meaning of the Dragon Boat Festival was rich and varied. In terms of culture, it carried a profound cultural heritage. Dragon boat racing, eating dumplings and other customs had a strong cultural origin. Dragon boat racing was originally a custom of offering sacrifices to gods, river gods, and water gods. Later, it had a special significance in the Dragon Boat Festival to commemorate Qu Yuan and other figures. The rituals of inviting dragons and offering sacrifices to gods before the dragon boat race reflected unique cultural implications. Eating dumplings was originally a tribute to the gods of ancestors. From the perspective of folk customs, the Dragon Boat Festival was a festival for the ancients to ward off evil spirits and diseases to a certain extent. Such customs as hanging wormwood reflected this meaning. There were also customs such as eating salted eggs, realgar wine, five-poison cakes, traveling all kinds of diseases, hanging wormwood calamus in the courtyard, etc., which also reflected people's yearning for health, peace and a better life. "The New Emperor on Girls 'Day" is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
The Dragon Boat Festival originated from the totem sacrifice held by the ancient tribes who worshipped the dragon totem. Later, during the Warring States Period, Qu Yuan, a poet of the Chu State, jumped into the Miluo River on the fifth day of May and committed suicide. The rulers made the Dragon Boat Festival a festival to commemorate Qu Yuan in order to establish the label of loyalty and patriotism.
Eating Zongzi during the Dragon Boat Festival is to commemorate Qu Yuan, a famous poet, politician, and writer in Chinese history. He committed suicide in the Miluo River during the period of Chu State due to political corruption and the suffering of the people. In order to commemorate his bravery and dedication, people would eat rice dumplings on this day, dragon boat races and other traditional activities. According to legend, Qu Yuan's mind was clear after leaving Chu, but his body gradually weakened. On the Miluo River, people rowed dragon boats to search for him. Finally, they found his body. In memory of him, they wrapped his body in Zongzi leaves and threw him into the Miluo River. From then on, people would hold dragon boat races and eat rice dumplings by the Miluo River every year on the fifth day of May to commemorate Qu Yuan's dedication and patriotic spirit. This tradition had been passed down for thousands of years and had become one of the important cultural symbols of the Chinese nation. It not only expressed people's respect and memory of Qu Yuan, but also reflected the indomitable will and unity of the Chinese people.
Zongzi is eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival to commemorate Qu Yuan. Zongzi, also known as "Jiao Shu" and "Qu Yuan Rice", originated in southern China. Legend has it that during the Warring States Period, Qu Yuan, a poet of the State of Chu, fought hard for peace in the State of Chu, but in the end, he committed suicide by jumping into the river because he was worried about the country and the people. In order to commemorate Qu Yuan's dedication and patriotic feelings, people would hold dragon boat races and eat zongzi on the fifth day of May every year to commemorate him. According to the Records of the Historian, after Qu Yuan's death, the local people were deeply saddened and rowed on the river to mourn Qu Yuan. Finally, they found Qu Yuan sinking into the river, so they tied the rice bags together and threw them into the river to mourn. Later, this custom gradually evolved into a ritual of eating zongzi. In the Han culture, Zongzi was also an important traditional festival, alongside the Mid-Autumn Festival and the Spring Festival. Zongzi was usually made of glutinous rice, meat, beans, and other ingredients. It was usually round or triangular in shape. In the south, there were many kinds of fillings such as salted egg yolk, lotus paste, bean paste, etc. In short, eating zongzi during the Dragon Boat Festival is to commemorate Qu Yuan's patriotic spirit and dedication. After his death, the local people held dragon boat races for him and ate zongzi. These activities have become a part of Chinese traditional culture.
This poem was from the poem "Climbing the Stork Tower" by the Tang Dynasty poet Wang Zhihuan. The full text of the poem was: The white sun is leaning against the mountains, and the Yellow River flows into the sea current. I want to see a thousand miles and climb another level. The Dragon Boat Festival is divided into two parts. Who said that it was Qu Yuan? On May 5, I went down to the boat to cover the water and think about where to go. Wang Zhihuan (688 - 742) was a famous writer and poet in the early Tang Dynasty. His poems were famous for their freshness, sincerity, and profound artistic conception. He was known as "Mr. Liu Yi". This poem was one of his masterpieces. It expressed the poet's lofty aspirations and his reverence for Qu Yuan, a famous historical figure.