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The True Meaning of the Dragon Boat Festival
by Ernie Diaz
It defies logic: a mandatory national holiday to commemorate an accused traitor, one who opposed China’s founding dynasty? And we celebrate with dragon boat racing and sticky rice?
We’ve obviously lost much of the meaning in the Dragon Boat Festival. But in marketing terms, that hardly matters. Across China, shopping plazas have zongzi stands set up out front, the mounds of steamed gluten a healthy alternative to the moon cake pyramids that will replace them a few months from now.
The boat racing? A master stroke. Tomorrow, cities from Boston to Melbourne will make a gala day of it. Nothing sells cross culture like some healthy competition. Too bad Buddha didn’t advocate groups of disciples running a ball into each other’s side of the field; today, schoolchildren would have morning mantras.
Cheers to the dragon boat racers, and enjoy the time off if you’re in China. But for skinny-ankled intellectual types, the truly China curious, and those, who like Dirty Harry’s victims, just gots to know, we’re going to dig a little deeper into the Dragon Boat Festival.
A quick recap of the official story. Qu Yuan, loyal counselor to the King of Chu, warns him against cozying up to the juggernaut State of Qin. Instead, he advises forming an alliance against it. Corrupt officials, jealous of Qu’s close ties with the king, trump up treason charges and get him exiled. The banished Qu wanders the country composing epic poetry and wasting away in worry for his state. Years later, when Qin captures the Chu capital, Qu composes a final poem, Lament for Ying, then drowns himself in the Miluo River, ritual protest and dramatic “told you so” in one.
So the boats represent the villagers’ frantic attempt to save a noble patriot. The splashing paddles and beating drums scare the fish that would eat such an idealistic corpse, and we eat zongzi because throwing rice in the river was a last attempt to distract fish not otherwise scared off by the paddles and drums. Why then is painting the eyes on the dragon boat such an important part of every race?
The answer is complicated. Consider a less-often related part of Qu Yuan’s story, in which his spirit reappeared later before his friends, claiming that a river dragon had killed him. He instructed them in fashioning tri-cornered zongsi to placate the dragon. Consider also that Qu had a predecessor with a similar story, who was already being commemorated in China before Qu had even been born.
Another son of the State of Chu, Wu Zixu fled to the kingdom of Wu on the imprisonment of his high-ranking father. He helped in the design of Suzhou’s renowned canal system, and performed other noble work, but was also done in by the connivance of treacherous ministers, in this case Bo Pi, who was on the payroll of rival state Yue. The King of Wu ordered Wu Zixu to commit suicide, whereupon he was flung into a river. Soon after began the worship of Wu Zixu as a river god, called “God of Waves”. In Suzhou and Jiangsu, Wu Zixu is still honored during the Dragon Boat Festival to this day.
The connection springs from the fact that, in China, the gods of water are dragons, not double-crossed courtiers. The four dragon kings rule the seas and rivers, but also control clouds and rain, often to disastrous effect when punishing humans for their transgressions. Propitiating a powerful god seems a much better reason to throw rice stuffed with costly sweet meats into a river than to honor a tragic nobleman/poet, at least from the perspective of an ancient agrarian society. Before Wu Zixu, that is precisely why the people of Yue made such offerings. Taking the time to craft an ornate dragon boat fits the dragon-worship theory much more nicely, too.
Dragon worship involves much more than an ignorant fear of monsters. Duanwu, or “Double Fifth”,as the Dragon Boat Festival is called in Mandarin, marks the beginning of mid-summer, when the sun is at its strongest. The sun is the elemental representation of yang, male energy. It is not much of a leap to transfer veneration from the sun to the mythical symbol of yang energy, China’s symbol, the dragon.
The dog days of summer meant something quite different to ancient Chinese than beach trips and lemonade, of course. In towns without plumbing or what we otherwise consider basic sanitation services, extra sun meant extra-stinky piles of refuse, clouds of flies, and the onset of plague. Thus is Duanwu celebrated by the truly observant with a little more than eating and racing.
For protection against the evils that summer brings, you must hang sweet flag and mugwort on your front door. The former, also known as calamus, enjoys an ancient reputation as both an aphrodisiac and a nervous-system rejuvenator. The latter, also called moxa, is the key ingredient in the Chinese medicinal practice of moxibustion, and stimulates blood flow to the internal organs, especially reproductive. Your door display is incomplete without a picture of Zhong Kui, celestial bane of evil spirits.
Relax from your efforts with a cup of Xiong Huang, rice wine flavored with realgar, an arsenic-sulphur compound. Too much will put you in the ground, but the right dose is sovereign for killing intestinal parasites. Fortified by your cocktail, proceed to sew silk pouches stuffed with potpourri and hang them about your children’s necks. The evil spirits won’t go near them; neither will their self-respecting friends.
To praise the dragon and protect against the harm his potent yang energy may bring – now that sounds like a reason for the Chinese of old to take a day off. Perhaps the re-branding springs from a desire to seem more refined and less superstitious. Whatever the case may be, China Expat wishes you a happy Dragon Festival.
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The dragon boat races are just as good in Boston and Melbourne, Rick. Come to China for the food.
A dragon boat (also dragonboat) is a very long and narrow canoe-style human-powered boat. It is now used in the team paddling sport of dragon boat racing which originated in China over 2000 years ago.
Dragon boat festival is a traditional festival in China. I love watching them. I have always wandered did dragon really existed, and if they existed then how could they fly with their huge body.
The festival occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar on which the Chinese calendar is based. This is the source of the alternative name of Double Fifth .
The Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu Festival in Mandarin, Tuen Ng Festival in Cantonese) is a traditional and statutory holiday associated with Chinese cultures, though it is celebrated in other east Asian societies as well.
In English, the celebration is most often called the “Dragon Boat Festival” in recognition of one of the traditional activities associated with the holiday. This English name of the festival is commonly used in Hong Kong, where English is one of the official languages.
Or do these dragons remind you of crusty the clown?
It's just you. Hyuh hyuh HEY!
Dragon boat festival is a traditional festival in China. I love watching them. I have always wandered did dragon really existed, and if they existed then how could they fly with their huge body.
First, we introduced the history of the Dragon Boat Festival, through which students could understand the origin and the meaning of wrapping rice dumplings.
Then, you instructed them in the pointless art of inchoherent posting.
While the Dragon Boat Festival celebrates Chinese culture, another aspect of the festival is to promote good health. Traditionally, part of the festival was used to protect the Chinese people from disease.
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Heard of the Lake Erie monster? Aquatic giant reptiles near Lake Erie will be nothing out of the ordinary for the 2009 Cleveland Dragon Boat Festival, piloted on Saturday at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River by the Cleveland Rowing Foundation.
Greco – who has been blind his entire life – tucked himself into a dragon boat at the Renforth Wharf in Rothesay for a race.
As for instant, Dragon Boat Festival (falls on 8th of June this year) is probably one of the festival most non-Chinese would have no idea what is it about.
It is believed sacrifices, sometimes human, were involved in the earliest boat racing rituals. During these ancient times, violent clashes between the crew members of the competing boats involved throwing stones and striking each other with bamboo stalks. Originally, paddlers or even an entire team falling into the water could receive no assistance from the onlookers as their misfortune was considered to be the will of the Dragon Deity which could not be interfered with. Those boaters who drowned were thought to have been sacrificed. That Qu Yuan sacrificed himself in protest through drowning speaks to this early notion.
The regatta features three races for each team, two 200 meter races and one 500 meter race.
This day began with the morning walk, mass and breakfast with students. The kids were happier than usual today which is directly Dragon_boat_festival related to the fact that tomorrow begins a short holiday to celebrate The Dragon Boat festival.
I read with amusement the letter from the gentleman who complained of the noise from the Dragon Boat Festival interfering with his precious sleep on his day off.
Originally, paddlers or even an entire team falling into the water could receive no assistance from the onlookers as their misfortune was considered to be the will of the Dragon Deity which could not be interfered with.
With the generous help of paddlers, performers, volunteers, sponsors, government partners, media, staff and suppliers the event was a resounding success.
Thank you for the information.
Dragon is already the label of China. And knowing more the meaning is already a good info worth the know. This is always at the forefront in every meaningful event like New year.
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Greco – who has been blind his entire life – tucked himself into a dragon boat at the Renforth Wharf in Rothesay for a race.
The festival is also celebrated in countries with significant Chinese populations, such as in Singapore and Malaysia. Equivalent and related festivals outside Chinese-speaking societies include the Kodomo no hi in Japan, Dano in Korea, and Tết Đoan Ngọ in Vietnam.
The Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu Festival in Mandarin, Tuen Ng Festival in Cantonese) is a traditional and statutory holiday associated with Chinese cultures, though it is celebrated in other east Asian societies as well.
The Duanwu Festival is believed to have originated in ancient China. A number of theories exist about its origins as a number of folk traditions and explanatory myths are connected to its observance. Today the best known of these relates to the suicide in 278 BC of Qu Yuan, poet and statesman of the Chu kingdom during the Warring States period.
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China is full of colors.. I had a chance to visit.. but due to my professional commitment i cudnt.. next year for new year..
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This is because Duanwu is reckoned annually in accordance with the traditional calendar system of China, which is a combination of solar and lunar cycles, unlike the Gregorian calendar system.
Greco – who has been blind his entire life – tucked himself into a dragon boat at the Renforth Wharf in Rothesay for a race. Printable Address Labels
And knowing more the meaning is already a good info worth the know. This is always at the forefront in every meaningful event like New year.
I nearly always respond … either with another comment or a visit to the commenter’s site. I figure if people are nice enough to leave a comment then they deserve some sort of recongnition.
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An awesome country and culture..
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its a sea of red in that country.. they love red colour..
Chinese food is famous world over.. just love them.. spicy and juiy Inman Aligner Coventry
I love those traditional festival.
i wish i could attend some of these festivals.
Why can't ya? Too anxious, Woody Allen?
The Dragon boat festival really has an interesting story or meaning behind it. I enjoy watching this festival because the people are very much enjoyed by the colorful and entertaining dragon boats. I hope this festival continues because a lot of kids would also love to watch this. Indeed, the Chinese culture continues to live on.
Hell friend, thanks for the interesting Blog site and Dragon boat festival
I though the first rule of Hell Friends was there are no Hell Friends.