{"id":7710,"date":"2012-06-22T10:59:54","date_gmt":"2012-06-22T14:59:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/?p=7710"},"modified":"2012-06-22T01:38:41","modified_gmt":"2012-06-22T05:38:41","slug":"dragon-boat-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/dragon-boat-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"Dragon Boat Festival (\u7aef\u5348\u8282)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today is the Dragon Boat Festival, which is known in Chinese as the Duanwu Festival<\/strong> (\u7aef\u5348\u8282 – du\u0101n w\u01d4 ji\u00e9). This holiday is celebrated every year on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, and although it has only been an officially recognized public holiday in mainland China since 2008, it has been celebrated for thousands of years. This traditional Chinese festival has both an interesting history and some unique customs associated with it, so let’s take a closer look.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Dragon Boat Festival\/Duanwu Festival<\/p><\/div>\n

History<\/strong><\/p>\n

The best known story surrounding the history of the Dragon Boat Festival is that of the poet Qu Yuan<\/strong> (\u5c48\u539f – q\u016b yu\u00e1n). As legend has it, Qu Yuan was both a poet and a statesman for the Chu kingdom<\/strong> (\u695a\u56fd – chu gu\u00f3) during the Warring States Period <\/strong>(\u6218\u56fd\u65f6\u4ee3 – zh\u00e0n gu\u00f3 sh\u00ed d\u00e0i). He served in high office and he advocated a policy of aligning with other kingdoms against the dominant Qin. Sadly, the King decided to ally himself with the Qin, and thus he decided to banish Qu Yuan. During this time, he wrote some of the most famous poetry in all of Chinese literary history, expressing his love for his kingdom and his concerns for the future. Upon hearing that his kingdom’s capital had been overtaken by the Qin, Qu Yuan committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River<\/strong> (\u6c68\u7f57\u6c5f – m\u00ec lu\u014d ji\u0101ng). As he was adored by people everywhere, the local people did everything in their power to try to either save Qu Yuan, or at the very least, to protect him in the afterlife. It’s believed that people paddled out into the river on boats, either in an attempt to retrieve his body or just to scare the fish away. They also dropped sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves into the water so that Qu Yuan would be well fed in the afterlife. The bamboo was meant to ensure that the fish would not eat the famous poet’s rice. Fast forward a couple of thousand years, and you can see how this story has shaped the festival.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wXc_PuG5Thg&feature=related<\/a><\/p>\n

A basic rundown of the history of this festival.<\/em><\/p>\n

Customs<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Mmmmm.. sticky rice!<\/p><\/div>\n

There are two main customs associated with this holiday, both of which are clearly connected to the story of Qu Yuan. The first, and the most popular, is the making and eating of sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, known as zongzi <\/strong>(\u7cbd\u5b50 – z\u00f2ng zi). Making these traditional treats is a family affair, and recipes are passed down from generation to generation. Glutinous “sticky” rice is used, and is combined with a variety of fillings, wrapped in the leaf, and then steamed or boiled for several hours. In the week or so leading up to the holiday, you’ll see these just about everywhere you look. Rather than throwing them into the water to save a poet who died a few thousand years ago, most people prefer to scarf them down these days.<\/p>\n