端午节
Synopsis
Overview
The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu Festival, Duan Yang Festival, Double Fifth Festival, or Tianzhong Festival, is one of China's four major traditional holidays, celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month in the Chinese lunar calendar. The festival originated from ancient rituals venerating celestial phenomena and evolved from dragon worship practices. Over time, it has also been associated with commemorating historical figures (such as Qu Yuan, Wu Zixu, Cao E, etc...
Overview
The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu Festival, Duanyang Festival, Longzhou Festival, Chongwu Festival, and Tianzhong Festival, is one of China's four major traditional festivals, celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month in the Chinese lunar calendar. Originating from ancient celestial worship and evolving from rituals dedicated to dragons, the festival later acquired cultural connotations commemorating historical figures such as Qu Yuan, Wu Zixu, and Cao E. Its rich and diverse customs integrate worship of deities and ancestors, prayers for blessings and warding off evil, festive entertainment, and special foods, profoundly reflecting the Chinese nation's natural philosophy of "harmony between humanity and nature" and deep-seated sentiments of family and country. In May 2006, the State Council of China included it in the first batch of National Intangible Cultural Heritage list. In September 2009, UNESCO officially approved its inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, making the Dragon Boat Festival the first Chinese festival to be recognized as a world intangible cultural heritage.
History
The origins of the Dragon Boat Festival encompass ancient astrological culture, humanistic philosophy, and other aspects, containing profound and rich cultural connotations. The main theories regarding its origin are as follows:
1. Celestial Worship Theory: Ancient Chinese divided the regions near the ecliptic and celestial equator into 28 constellations, known as the Twenty-Eight Mansions. During the midsummer Dragon Boat Festival, the seven mansions of the Azure Dragon constellation ascend to the highest point in the southern sky, a day symbolizing the dragon soaring in the heavens, as described in the fifth line of the Qian hexagram in the Book of Changes: "The dragon flies in the sky." On this day, the dragon star is both "centered" and "upright," considered an extremely auspicious sign. Naturally, the ancients chose this day to hold sacrificial ceremonies to thank the dragon ancestors and pray for blessings, good fortune, and protection from evil and disaster.
2. Commemoration of Historical Figures Theory: This is the most widespread and influential theory, with commemorating Qu Yuan, a poet of the Chu State during the Warring States period, being the most prominent. According to Records of the Grand Historian, Qu Yuan advocated selecting the worthy for office and strengthening the state, but faced slander and exile by the nobility. In 278 BC, when the Qin army captured the Chu capital Ying, Qu Yuan, filled with grief and indignation, drowned himself in the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth month by holding a stone. The people of Chu, deeply saddened, raced their boats in an attempt to save him and threw rice balls, eggs, and other food into the river to prevent fish and shrimp from harming his body. These acts gradually evolved into the customs of dragon boat racing and eating zongzi. Additionally, some regions have theories commemorating Wu Zixu, Cao E, or Jie Zitui.
3. Evil Day Taboo Theory: In the pre-Qin era, the fifth lunar month was considered the "evil month," and the fifth day was the "evil day." During this time, the weather was hot and humid, poisonous creatures proliferated, and diseases were prone to spread. Therefore, many early Dragon Boat Festival customs, such as hanging mugwort and calamus, wearing sachets, and drinking realgar wine, were related to warding off evil, preventing epidemics, and averting disasters.
Main Features
The Dragon Boat Festival boasts numerous customs with distinct regional characteristics, but its core activities revolve around praying for blessings, dispelling disasters, and commemoration. Its main features can be summarized in the following table:
| Category | Specific Content | Characteristics and Symbolism |
|---|---|---|
| Dietary Customs | Eating Zongzi | Glutinous rice and fillings wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves. Originally used as offerings to Qu Yuan, they later became festive delicacies symbolizing reunion and prayers for blessings. |
| Drinking Realgar Wine | Powdered realgar mixed into white or yellow rice wine. The ancients believed it could ward off evil spirits and kill toxins and insects. For children, realgar wine was dabbed on the forehead, sometimes forming the character "王" (king). | |
| Festive Activities | Dragon Boat Racing | A team paddling competition with loud drums and gongs, creating a majestic atmosphere. Originating from the tradition of racing boats to rescue Qu Yuan, it has now become an international sporting event. |
| Hanging Mugwort and Calamus | Bundles of mugwort and calamus tied with red paper are inserted or hung on doors. Both are medicinal herbs emitting distinctive aromas believed to repel insects, purify air, and symbolize warding off evil and harm. | |
| Prayers and Warding Off Evil | Wearing Sachets | Small pouches made of silk cloth, filled with cinnabar, realgar, fragrant herbs, etc., emitting a pleasant fragrance. Often worn by children on their waist or chest, intended to ward off evil and epidemics, and also serve as ornaments. |
| Tying Five-Colored Threads | Threads braided from five colors—blue, white, red, black, and yellow—are tied around a child's wrists, ankles, or neck. They are thrown into a river with the first rain after the festival, symbolizing the washing away of illness and misfortune. | |
| Other Customs | Bathing in Herbal Decoction (Mu Lan Tang) | Bathing in water boiled with herbs like eupatorium and mugwort leaves, believed to treat skin diseases and dispel evil influences. Still preserved in some regions. |
| Zhong Kui Dance | A folk dance performed to drive away evil spirits and pray for safety and peace. |
Cultural Significance
The Dragon Boat Festival is more than just a holiday; it is a vital carrier of Chinese culture with profound cultural significance:
1. Inheriting Sentiments of Family and Country: The legend centered on commemorating Qu Yuan links personal fate with the rise and fall of the nation, endowing the festival with a deep patriotic spirit that inspires generations of Chinese people's loyalty and love for their country.
2. Embodiment of Natural Wisdom: The festival's customs contain abundant life wisdom about顺应天时 (conforming to the seasons) and趋利避害 (seeking advantages and avoiding harm). Whether using herbs for disease prevention or choosing specific times for祈福 (prayer) activities, they reflect the ancient philosophy of harmonious coexistence with nature.
3. Strengthening National Identity: As a festival shared by all people, Dragon Boat Festival activities like making zongzi and dragon boat racing are highly participatory and collective, serving as important bonds for maintaining family harmony, community solidarity, and national cohesion.
4. Showcasing Cultural Diversity: China's vast territory has given rise to numerous local variations in Dragon Boat Festival customs while maintaining core consistencies. Examples include northern traditions like "stepping on willow" and composing poems, and southern practices like "sending away plague boats." Together, they form a rich and diverse cultural tapestry of the festival.
References
- China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network · China Intangible Cultural Heritage Digital Museum - Dragon Boat Festival:
http://www.ihchina.cn/project_details/13117/> - UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists - Dragon Boat Festival:
https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/dragon-boat-festival-00225> - Chinese Government Website - State Council Notice on Publishing the First Batch of National Intangible Cultural Heritage List (including Dragon Boat Festival):
https://www.gov.cn/zwgk/2006-06/02/content_297946.htm>
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