Wishing that children grow in strength and health, Japanese households will, on this day, raise the koinobori, which are carp-shaped windsocks that blow like banners in the wind and symbolize hope. . The distance covered by racers can vary from 100 to 2,000 meters (328 to 6,562 feet). The Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated on the fifth lunar month fifth day. The Realgar wine is an important part of the festival, as it is believed that drinking it will bring good luck and ward off evil spirits. Every year, the dragon boat festival is observed on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. 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Watching exhilarating dragon boat races from the waterfront under clear summer skies is the perfect backdrop for sharing the traditions of the Dragon Boat Festival. During a race, the drummer leads the paddlers by beating rhythmically on a drum. Names. . SACRAMENTO REGIONAL COALITION FOR TOLERANCE. It is a day off for the general population. Every festival has it's own wonderful story, of which you can find out more about on our Taiwan holidays page. The Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu Jie in Mandarin and Tuen Ng in Cantonese) is a blending of history, folklore, and mythical beings, sprinkled with bamboo-wrapped sticky rice dumplings called. It is summertime when the Dragon Boat Festival comes. This is said to be the origin of zongzi.[15]. When his body could not be found, they dropped balls of sticky rice into the river so that the fish would eat them instead of Qu Yuan's body. Read my interview with Hans Wu, race director of the San Francisco International Dragon Boat Festival, to know what to expect at the races. When youre celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival, you should also send festival greetings to your loved ones. It takes place every year between May 27 and June 25 on the 5th day of the 5th month of the lunar calendar. The origin of the festival is said to be when locals paddled out on boats to scare the fish away and retrieve Qu Yuan's body (the patriotic poet who drowned himself in the Miluo River when the Chu State fell in 278 BC).See the story behind the Dragon Boat Festival. During races, the boats are fitted out with a colorful dragon head and tail. Required fields are marked *. Dragon Boat Races Celebrate China's Ancient Past | National Geographic National Geographic 21.2M subscribers Subscribe 2.1K 194K views 4 years ago Near the summer solstice, communities. including the traditional annual Dragon Boat Festival, which is . Download, Fun By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, 3000 Youngfield St., Suite 350, Wheat Ridge, CO, 80215, US, http://cdbf.org. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. will be within 24 hours. The view of Qu's social idealism and unbending patriotism became canonical under the People's Republic of China after 1949 Communist victory in the Chinese Civil War. Qu Yuan remains a popular figure in modern China. Realgar wine or xionghuangwine is a Chinese alcoholic drink that is made from Chinese yellow wine dosed with powdered realgar. Dragon boat racing is increasingly popular in cities around the world. A Japanese team was invited to compete alongside nine local teams kickstarting modern-day dragon boat competitions . The State of Chu was not doing well politically, and news of its various defeats at the hands of competing states sent Qu Yuan into a deep depression. But why is the dragon boat festival so important? Youll find them for sale at a Dragon Boat Festival, as well as throughout Chinatown. The Story Behind Denver's Annual Dragon Boat Festival. The Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated on the fifth lunar month fifth day. Attending a dragon boat festival outdoors is truly an all-ages experience. It originated in China and occurs in the summer solstice. The 2022 Colorado Dragon Boat Festival will take place July 23-24, 2022. Why Is Dragon Boat Festival So Important? Some people also participate in other activities like dragon boat drumming, which is believed to bring good luck to a teams performance. The festival is a time to reflect on the importance of loyalty and commitment to the community. More Top 3 Stories of the Dragon Boat Festival, Dragon BoatFestival has been celebrated in China for, Special plants with strong flavors will hang on doors to ward off evil spirits.. Two prevailing stories are often cited to explain the origin of this age-old holiday. Equivalent and related official festivals include the Korean Dano, Japanese Children's Day, and Vietnamese Tt oan Ng. Sweet flag is an importantpart of the festival.It is a herb and is regarded as a symbol of braveryin Japanese culture. On this holiday, the food of choice is zngzi (). In addition to the threat posed by the reemergence of poisonous animals, it was also believed that people were more prone to falling ill around this time. Go Inside China's Lively Dragon Boat Festival Celebrations. Wu Zixu was forced to commit suicide by Fuchai, with his body thrown into the river on the fifth day of the fifth month. and pass them out as gifts, receive them, and eat them. [3], Duanwu (Chinese: ; pinyin: dunw), as the festival is called in Mandarin Chinese, literally means "starting/opening horse", i.e., the first "horse day" (according to the Chinese zodiac/Chinese calendar system) to occur on the month;[4][a] however, despite the literal meaning being w, "the [day of the] horse in the animal cycle", this character has also been interchangeably construed as w (Chinese: ; pinyin: w) meaning "five". People usually gather with their families and friends to celebrate the festival while wearing traditional Chinese clothes such as red shirts and skirts. Hey, Its Chinaler, here to be your expert guide with travelling China, Chinese learning, and China culture. 'Wu' () in the name 'Duanwu' in Chinese has a similar pronunciation as the number 5 in multiple dialects, and thus many regions have traditions of eating food that is related to the number 5. They also scattered rice into the water to feed the fish, to prevent them from eating Qu Yuan's body, which is one of the origins of zongzi. Qu Yuan spent his exile in a productive manner, writing many works of poetry, but his mind was troubled. The stories of both Qu Yuan and Wu Zixu were recorded in Sima Qian's Shiji, completed 187 and 393 years after the events, respectively, because historians wanted to praise both characters. 22 Jun to 23 Jun. In fact, 5280 Magazine declared it "one of Colorado's greatest festivals." The festival is a time to reflect on theimportance of loyalty and commitment to the community. A legendary figure One of the most enduring legends associated with this celebration tells the story of Qu Yuan, an incorruptible minister of state during the Warring States era of China. The celebrations accompanying the Dano festival in Gangneung can extend for as long as a month, and in Korea the festival . On this day, dragons ascend to heaven, and divine blessings are sent down to earth. Thank you for this site, really helped me finish a paper on time. These special pouches are filled with aromatic herbs and spices such as cloves, cinnamon, star anise, and more. In South Korea, GangneungDanojeFestival is another version of the Dragon Boat Festival. They are believed to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck to those who wear them. Besides, dragon boat races have become popular cultural events in the USA. He has been training for today all year. Request a custom itinerary today and get one step closer to your personalized trip. The Dragon Boat Festival is commemorated on the fifth lunar month fifth day. Common fillings for sweet zngzi include sweet red bean paste or jujube (Chinese dates). If you made a voluntary contribution in 2022-2023 of . In 1989, dragon boat racing was imported to Germany, with the first Dragon Boat Festival to mark the 800th anniversary of the port of Hamburg.After 1991, the races moved to Frankfurt and have continued to this day. For example, the Guangdong and Hong Kong regions have the tradition of having congee made from 5 different beans. One such tradition that has survived to this day and is still incorporated into modern Dragon Boat Festival celebrations is the custom of hanging mugwort and calamus branches on ones door to ward off evil spirits. Discover the hidden gems. In mainland China, there are also various informal races organized by local villages and communities. Sometimes if Mid-Autumn Festival is near National Day, Mid-Autumn Festival may be in the golden week. In line with this explanation, racing dragon boats mimics the actions of the villagers who rowed out into the river to try to save their beloved poet. Legend has it that a famous poet named . Manage Settings Venomous animals were said to appear starting from the fifth day of the fifth month, such as snakes, centipedes, and scorpions; people also supposedly get sick easily after this day. Eating Sticky Rice Dumplings. of China with those looking for a more authentic travel experience. Another suggestion is that the festival celebrates a widespread feature of east Asian agrarian societies: the harvest of winter wheat. In 2009, UNESCO designated the dragon boat festival a "Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.". The cooked zongzi is called "yizhi zong".[22]. It is a month-long festival and a variety of folk activities and events are held, such as brewing sacred liquor, sacrificing to their ancestors, making Dano(Duanwu) fans, swingingon swings, performing traditional mask dances, and washing hair in sweet flag water. Each year, we encourage our next generation to express their thoughts and ideas in their own creative writing. Southern regions in China prefer savory zongzi, with a variety of fillings including marinated pork belly, sausage, and salted duck eggs. the use of cookies. The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Duanwu Festival or Double Fifth Festival, provides the perfect opportunity for family fun. Our family is excited, especially Baba. Since the month of May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in California, OCA Sacramento has selected May to symbolize this great occasion and host our annual signature fundraising event, the Dragon Boat Festival Celebration. By taking part in the dragon boat festival, people can learn about different civilizations and cultures around the world. Jin Dynasty, dumplings were officially designated as the Dragon Boat Festival food. 1. The Duanwu Festival was noted for its two most important activities, racing dragon boats and eating Zongzi. As discussed above, legend has it that people eat zngzi on the Dragon Boat Festival as a way to remember the poet Qu Yuan. EPIC MOROCCO BY CULTURE TRIP People in certain regions of China believed that during this month, the dreaded five poisonous animals (, wd), started to come out of their winter hiding places. Over the years, various traditions emerged to help ensure that people were protected from illness and bad luck during the dreaded Double Fifth. With the longest history of Korea's local festivals, the Danoje sees locals hold a series of activities such as throwing pots, wrestling, swinging, taekwondo competitions, and college football matches to help pray for a good harvest, health and happiness. In the early 20th Century the Dragon Boat Festival was observed from the first to the fifth days of the fifth month, and also known as the . September 21st 2021 - Mid Autumn Festival. During the festival, Singapore's East Coast Park hosts the annual international dragon boat race, which is one of the most anticipated Duanwu events and draws dragon boat teams from all over the world to participate in the fierce competition. In recent years, however, Dragon Boat Festival has regained its traditional place as an important holiday in Mainland China. It is said that the local people, who admired him, raced out in their boats to save him, or at least retrieve his body. Dragon Boat Festival Greetings: Happy or Health? Most zongzi are still made in using a traditional bamboo wrapper. The Dragon Boat Festival focuses on the themes of patriotism and sacrifice. It is also called the Dragon Boat Feast. Apart from racing dragon boats and eating zongzi, there are many other interesting traditions and activities on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival or DuanwuJie. October 10th 2021 & October 11th 2021 - National Day. Although the Dragon Boat Festival has a long history, it has not always found favor with the Chinese authorities. The focus of most Dragon Boat Festival celebrations involves eating zhongzi, drinking realgar wine, and racing dragon boats. In China, the Dragon Boat Festival is referred to as Duan Wu Jie. The other three are Chinese New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival and Qingming Festival. Thank you so much for sharing your time, effort, and knowledge. In commemoration of Qu Yuan, people hold dragon boat races yearly on the day of his death according to the legend. The dragon is the center of Chinese New Year, Chinatown street fairs, and any big celebration having to do with Chinese culture. According to this explanation, the custom is thought to have originated in southern Chinas Guangdong Province along the Pearl River Delta. Sunday, June 13. Discover the hidden gems. The celebration was an important part of the ancient Chinese agricultural society, celebrating the summer rice planting. In some regions of China, on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, parents braid silk threads of five colors and put them on their children's wrists. This traditional Chinese event is known as the Dragon Boat Festival, or Longzhou Jie in Chinese, due to its strong ties to dragon boats. It is also referred to in some English sources as Double Fifth Festival which alludes to the date as in the original Chinese name.. Chinese names by region. China, as the place of origin, is abundant in celebrations and traditions, with diverse festivities that vary from region to region throughout the country, with zongzi rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves and dragon boat races being two of the most distinctive and representative elements of the festival. Read on to discover the origins of the Dragon Boat Festival and learn more about the customs associated with this traditional celebration. 475 to 221 BC). But scholars say the boats were first used hundreds of years earlier, perhaps for. The masculine image of the dragon has thus associated with the Dragon Boat Festival.[25]. It has been around for many centuries now, and its roots go as far back as the Han dynasty. Best Childrens Books About the Dragon Boat Festival, For a holiday thats over 2,000 years old, there are surprisingly few childrens books exclusively dedicated to the Dragon Boat Festival. Almost every Chinese holiday has a specific food or foods associated with it, and Dragon Boat Festival is no different. Members of Boulder's Shaolin Hung Mei Kung Fu organization participate in a dragon dance during the opening ceremony for the 18th annual Colorado Dragon Boat Festival at Sloan's Lake Park on July 28, 2018. Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, New York, Denver, and other cities hold large-scale dragon boat races regularly. China Highlights uses cookies to give you the best possible service. 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