What is the origin of Dragon Boat Festival?

Dragon Boat Festival is one of the ancient traditional festivals of the Chinese nation. The Dragon Boat Festival has a history of more than two thousand years since the Warring States Period. There are different opinions about the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival, among which the theory of commemorating Qu Yuan has the most extensive influence. There is also a saying that the Dragon Boat Festival was originally a festival for China people to get rid of diseases and prevent epidemics.

There are different views on the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival.

To commemorate Qu Yuan

In 278 BC, Qin Jun conquered the capital of Chu. Seeing that his motherland was invaded, Qu Yuan was heartbroken. On May 5th, he threw himself into the Miluo River. After Qu Yuan's death, the people of Chu were heartbroken and flocked to the Miluo River to pay homage to Qu Yuan, and had the custom of racing dragon boats and eating zongzi on the Dragon Boat Festival.

In memory of Wu Zixu

Wu Zixu helped Wu to attack Chu, and suggested that the state of Yue be completely destroyed, but Fu Cha, the prince of Wu, did not listen. Zixu said to his neighbor, "When I die, I will gouge out my eyes and hang them on the east gate of Jason Wu to watch the Vietnamese army enter the city to destroy Wu" and then committed suicide. Therefore, it is said that the Dragon Boat Festival is also a day to commemorate Wu Zixu.

In memory of filial daughter Cao E

Cao E was a native of Shangyu in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Her father drowned in the river, and her body was not seen for several days. At that time, Cao E, the filial daughter, was only fourteen years old and cried day and night by the river. 17 days later, he also threw himself into the river on May 5, and fished out his father's body five days later. Later, in order to commemorate Cao E's filial piety, Cao E Temple was built where Cao E threw himself into the river.

An evil day

In the pre-Qin period, it was generally believed that May was a poisonous month and the fifth was an evil day. According to legend, this day is evil, and the five poisons came out together. The chapter "A Midsummer Story" in Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals stipulates that people should abstain from sex and fast in May. In ancient times, the fifth day of May was regarded as an evil day, which was a common phenomenon. On this day, Acorus calamus and Folium Artemisiae Argyi were inserted to exorcise ghosts, Atractylodes lancea and Angelica dahurica were smoked, and realgar wine was drunk to avoid the epidemic.

Read the poetry records of Dragon Boat Festival.

Border Town (Excerpt)

Text/Shen Congwen

At noon, local women and children all wore new clothes and dipped realgar in wine to draw a king's word on their foreheads. On this day, anyone can eat fish and meat. At about eleven o'clock in the morning, everyone in the teahouse had lunch. After eating, everyone living in the city locked the door, and the whole family went out of the city to watch boating by the river. If you have acquaintances in Hejie Street, you can go to the gate of the Diaojiao Building in Hejie Street, or you can stand at the gate of the tax gate and look at the pier. The dragon boat in the river starts from a place in Changtan and ends before the race clearance. Because on this day, officers, tax collectors and local people with status are watching the excitement before customs clearance.

A few days ago, everyone made preparations for boating. They divided into groups to help each other, and each selected a number of strong, dexterous young men to practice advancing and retreating in the pool. The shape of the boat is very different from that of an ordinary wooden boat. It is long and narrow, with both ends tilted high, and the hull is painted with long scarlet lines. Usually put it in a dry cave by the river, and drag it into the water when necessary.

Each boat can accommodate 12 to 18 paddlers, a team leader, a drummer and a gong player. Each oarsman took a short paddle and rowed the boat forward with the drums. The leader sat at the bow of the boat, wrapped in red cloth, holding two poem flags in his hand, waving them left and right, commanding the advance and retreat of the boat. Most people who beat gongs and drums sit in the middle of the boat. As soon as the boat paddles, it will simply beat drums and gongs to adjust the rowing rhythm for the paddlers.

The speed of the ship depends on the drums, so whenever the competition between the two ships is fierce, the drums are like thunder, and the people on both sides of the strait cheer and cheer, which reminds people of the sound of water drums when the old stork river in Liang Hongyu is in use, and the sound of Niu Hao catching Yang in the water is also the sound of water drums. Whoever paddles the boat ahead will get a reward before customs clearance. A red horse and a small silver medal will be hung on the head of someone on board, which shows the glory of this cooperation on board. Good soldiers, every time the boat wins, they will set off 500 firecrackers at the water's edge to celebrate the victory.

After the regatta, in order to share the fun with the people and increase the happiness of this festival, the chief garrison commander of the city put the Dagong duck with a green head and a long neck and red cloth stripes tied around its neck into the river, and all the soldiers and civilians who are good at swimming chased the duck. Whoever catches the duck will become the owner of the duck. So long pool took on a new look. Ducks are everywhere on the water, and people are chasing ducks everywhere.

The boat-to-boat race and the man-to-duck race will not end until evening.

Dragon Boat Festival

Tang Wenxiu

This festival is divided into Dragon Boat Festival,

It was rumored a long time ago that Qu Yuan.

Can laugh at the vastness of the Chu River,

Can't wash directly.

Fisherman's Pride Liu Hua is enchanting and fiery in May.

Song Ouyang xiu

In May, pomegranate flowers are enchanting and withered, and poplars fall with rain. Five-color new silk package jiaozi, gold plate to send, raw silk painting fan plate double phoenix.

It's time to bathe orchids, and calamus wine is beautiful and respectful. The oriole in the leaves is gone, and it is still awkward. The dream of screen window is easy to break.

Huanxisha? Dragon Boat Festival

Song sushi

The light sweat permeates Bibi Bay, bathing in Fang Lan during the Dragon Boat Festival in the Ming Dynasty. Qingchuan is full of fragrance.

The colored thread is lightly wrapped around the red jade arm, and the fine print hangs Lv Yun obliquely. Beautiful women meet for a thousand years.

Konakayama? Dragon Boat Festival

Yuan

Abby Tipa is busy everywhere. His family has a total of women, celebrating Duanyang. Fine winding five-color arm length. Empty melancholy, who will hang Yuanxiang again?

Don't talk about the past. A thousand years of loyalty, the sun shines. Reading Li Sao always hurts. No one can solve it, and the tree turns cold in the afternoon.

Dragon boat festival custom, characteristic dragon boat race

Dragon boat races are very common in the south of China, and most of them will paddle dry boats or dance dragon boats in the north. When rowing dragon boats, there are many dragon boat songs to add fun. For example, when rowing a dragon boat in Zigui, Hubei, there is a complete aria, and the lyrics and songs are all based on local folk songs and ballads. The songs are magnificent and exciting, and there is a legacy of "praise and harmony".

Hanging branches of mugwort leaves, calamus and banyan trees

Ai, Acorus calamus and garlic are called "Three Friends of Dragon Boat Festival" and "Three Weapons". The ancients thought that it could repel snake worms and destroy demons. There is a place to hang wormwood, calamus (Pujian) or pomegranate and garlic at the entrance of Dragon Boat Festival. Usually mugwort leaves, banyan trees and calamus are tied into a bundle with red paper and then inserted or hung on the door.

Draw the forehead

The custom of daubing children's foreheads with realgar during the Dragon Boat Festival. Clouds can drive away poisonous insects. The typical method is to draw the word "Wang" on the child's forehead with realgar, one is to drive away the poison, and the other is to suppress the evil with the tiger ("Wang" is like a tiger's forehead, and the tiger is the king of all animals).

Wear a sachet

Wearing sachets is very particular. In order to prevent diseases and keep fit, the elderly generally like to wear peaches, apples, dolls holding cocks and other shapes, symbolizing all the best and family harmony. Children like birds and animals. Young people, if they are lovers in love, affectionate girls should have carefully made unique sachets and given them to their lovers before the festival.

Mulan decoction

Taking a bath with orchid soup at noon is an ancient custom recorded in Da Dai Li. But the orchid in this paper is not an orchid, but a compositae plant, Eupatorium odoratum, which has a fragrant smell and can be cooked and bathed. After that, you will usually take a bath with fragrant herbs such as fried cattail and wormwood. In Guangdong, wormwood, cattail, magnolia and other flowers are used.

Drink Pu wine and realgar wine.

"Chronicle of Jingchu Age" said: "Use calamus, carving or leftovers, and use cold wine." Pu wine is fragrant and refreshing. Later, realgar and vermilion were added to the wine. This custom is widely circulated.