The 5th day of the 5th
month of the lunar year is an important day for the Chinese people. The day is
called Duan Wu Festival, or Dragon Boat Festival, celebrated everywhere in
China. This festival dates back to about 2,000 years ago with a number of
legends explaining its origin. The best-known story centers on a great patriotic
poet named Qu Yuan.
The customs vary a lot
in different areas of the country, but most of the families would hang the
picture of Zhong Kui (a ghost that can exorcise), calamus and moxa in their
houses. People have Dragon Boat Races, eat Zong Zi (dumpling made of
glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves) and carry a spice bag around
with them.
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Zhong Kui |
Hanging Pictures of Zhong Kui
Zhong Kui is the
exorcist par excellence. His picture, a fierce-looking male brandishing a magic
sword, used to be hung up in Chinese houses in order to scare away evil spirits
and demons, especially in the time of Dragon Boat
Festival.
Hanging Calamus and Moxa
On this day, most of
the families would also hang calamus and moxa (oriental plants) on the front
door. This is also to ward off evil.
Dragon Boat Race
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A Dragon Boat Competition
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The main event of the
festivities is the Dragon Boat Race. These boats are long and thin with
dragon heads on the bow of the ships. The boat races are said to represent
the search for Qu's body, with racing boats in a forward rowing motion, to
the rhythm of beating drums.
Zong Zi
Qu Yuan drowned on the fifth day of the fifth lunar
month in 277 BC. Since ancient times, Chinese people threw into the water
dumpling made of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves on the day.
Therefore the fish would eat the rice rather than the hero poet. This later on
turned into the custom of eating Zong
Zi.
Realgar Wine
It is a very popular
practice to drink this kind of Chinese liquor seasoned with realgar at the
Dragon Boat Festival. This is for protection from evil and disease for the rest
of the year.
Spice Bag
It's believed that if you carry the small spice bag around
with you, it not only drives away evil spirits but also brings fortune and
happiness to those who wear it. The small bags are hand-made by local craftsmen.
They're made with red, yellow, green and blue silk, fine satin or cotton.
Figures of animals, flowers and fruits are often embroidered onto the bags and
inside are mixed Chinese herbal medicines.
