What is the legend of Dragon Boat Festival?

The fifth day of the fifth lunar month, also called Duanyang Festival, has an original meaning, so the Dragon Boat Festival is the fifth day, and according to the calendar, May is the noon month, so the Dragon Boat Festival has gradually evolved into the current Dragon Boat Festival. Celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival has been a traditional habit of China people for more than two thousand years.

Legends of Dragon Boat Festival: in memory of Qu Yuan, Wu Zixu, Cao E, the filial daughter, Jie Tui, Chen Lin, Gou Jian, the evil day, the summer solstice and so on. I think there are five legends worth mentioning. Let's take a look:

One of the legends of Dragon Boat Festival: the legend of Cao E.

The first legend of the Dragon Boat Festival is to commemorate the filial daughter Cao E who saved her drowning father in the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 23-220). Cao E was a native of Shangyu in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Her father drowned in the river and didn't see her body for several days. At that time, Cao E, the filial daughter, was only fourteen years old, crying 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. This was passed down as a myth, and then to the governor of the county government, who made it a monument for disciple Han Danchun to make a eulogy.

The tomb of the filial daughter is in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province today, and there is a monument made by Jin. Later, in order to commemorate Cao E's filial piety, Cao E Temple was built where Cao E threw himself into the river. The village where she lived was renamed Cao E Town, and the place where Cao E died was named Cao E River.

Since then, the village where Cao E lived has been renamed as Cao E Town, and the river mourning his father has also been renamed as Cao E River. The imperial court also established a temple to comfort his filial piety, and people respected Cao E as the "filial queen". In order to commemorate Cao E's great filial piety, later generations held a sacrificial ceremony to commemorate Cao E on the fifth day of May, that is, the Dragon Boat Festival, which is also called the filial piety festival.

Legend of Dragon Boat Festival 2: The Legend of Qu Yuan

In ancient times, there was a man named Qu Yuan who worked as a doctor under the king of Chu. Later, because many people framed Qu Yuan, the King of Chu became increasingly distrustful of Qu Yuan, trusting only treacherous court officials, so he was relieved of his post as a doctor of Qu Yuan. Chu has been bullied by Qin since it was defeated by Qin. After Qin acceded to the throne, he wrote politely and invited him to meet Qin and make a contract face to face.

The doctor Qu Yuan said to Chu Huaiwang, "Qin is as cruel as a jackal. We were bullied by Qin more than once. The king will fall into their trap when he goes. " However, King Huai's son kept urging Chu Huaiwang to go, saying, "Many people died and lost their land in order to take Qin as an enemy. Since Qin is willing to make up with us, how can we refuse others? " Chu Huaiwang listened to his son and went to the State of Qin. As Qu Yuan had expected, Chu Huaiwang had just set foot in the State of Qin, and was immediately cut off by the troops ambushed by the State of Qin. Zhao Xiang, king of Qin, put Chu Huaiwang under house arrest in Xianyang and asked the minister of Chu to redeem the land before releasing him. Doctor Qu Yuan advised King Xiang of Chu to recruit talented people, stay away from villains, encourage soldiers, train soldiers and avenge the king of Chu. However, his proposal not only failed, but attracted the hatred of some ministers.

Qu Yuan was very sad and thought that Chu would soon be corrupt. I came to Shui Ze and walked around there day and night. Soon, his face was haggard and his body was thin. At this moment, a bird flew over and asked Qu Yuan, "Aren't you a doctor under the emperor?" How did you get here? Those ministers and emperors are all fatuous. This country depends on you! ""Yes, "Qu Yuan sighed, and then said," It's because they are all fatuous, and I'm not enough to resist alone, so the country will be corrupt! Even if their fatuous people are many and United, the emperor will not believe me. The bird was very moved and said, "Then why don't you go to other countries?" ""Well, I ran away at once. Where's Chu After all, I am from Chu, of course I will think of Chu! Alas, corrupt kings, traitors and Chu will all be destroyed by their hands. "

After that, Qu Yuan jumped into the river with a big stone in his arms and committed suicide. The bird quickly flew to the village to tell everyone. Fishermen and nearby cultivators knew the news and rowed boats to save Qu Yuan. After a while, many boats rushed over. But the water is like jasper, where is the shadow of Qu Yuan? They fished on the Miluo River for a long time, but they didn't find Qu Yuan when they arrived.

The fishermen are very sad. They sacrificed to the river for a while, and then scattered the rice in the bamboo tube in the water. Why? I gave them rice because I was afraid that the fish in the river would eat Qu Yuan's body. Because fish can eat delicious food every time, the fish in Miluo River are fat and strong, and the fish are delicious. On the fifth day of May of the following year, ordinary people will remember that it was the day Qu Yuan threw himself into the river, rowed a boat again, filled rice with bamboo tubes and sprinkled it into the water to sacrifice to him.

Later, people changed bamboo tubes full of rice into zongzi, rowed boats into dragon boats, and called the fifth day of May Dragon Boat Festival, also called Duanyang Festival.

Legend of Dragon Boat Festival III: Legend of Wu Zixu

Speaking of the origin of Dragon Boat Festival, everyone knows Qu Yuan, but few people know Wu Zixu. Another explanation about the origin of Dragon Boat Festival is related to the story of Wu Zixu. Suzhou people, in particular, only worship Wu Zixu and not Qu Yuan during the Dragon Boat Festival, knowing the story of Wu Zixu's growing old overnight.

Wu Zixu, a native of Chu, abandoned the dark and turned to the bright, helped Wu attack Chu, and invaded Ying City, the capital of Chu, in the Five Wars. After the death of the King of Wu, his son Fu Cha succeeded to the throne, and Wu Jun's morale was high and he defeated Yue. Gou Jian, the King of Yue, made peace, and Fu Cha agreed. Zi Xu suggested the complete elimination of Yue State, but Fu Cha did not listen. Tu Wu was bribed by the state of Yue to frame Zi Xu, but Fu Cha believed it and slandered Zi Xu to commit suicide. Zi Xu is a loyal person. Before he died, he said to his neighbor: After I die, I will gouge out my eyes and hang them on the east gate of Jason Wu, watching the Vietnamese army enter the city and destroy Wu. Focha heard that the body of the child was put into the river on May 5th. The people of Wu cherished Wu Zixu & prime; s patriotism and loyalty, and since then, the Dragon Boat Festival has been held every year to commemorate Xugong.

Legend 4 of Dragon Boat Festival: Legend in memory of Dragon Boat Festival

Legend has it that a long time ago, there was no river on the west bank, only a small and dirty ditch. One day, a fisherman caught a small snake in a ditch. This little snake is very strange. There are nine shiny scales on its tail. As soon as the fisherman touched the fish scale, the snake's eyes shone with begging light, which was very pitiful. The fisherman felt sorry for it, touched its scales and put it back in the ditch.

Who knows, the nine scales suddenly fell off, and the little snake danced and turned into a little dragon. It turned out to be a dragon, and it became like this because it broke the dogma and was punished by the jade emperor. There are nine strands on its tail-a small snake has nine shiny scales on its tail. The Jade Emperor once said, "This lock can't be opened unless it is positive." Just now, the fisherman accidentally opened the Millennium shackles on Xiaolong.

In order to thank the fisherman, Xiaolong kept turning around in the ditch, spouting water from his mouth and pouring it into the small ditch. Slowly, the small ditch became a big river (West Bank River), and the river brought rich crops to the West Bank. To commemorate this dragon, people call the villages along the river Longtouzhai and Shanglongshou Village. The day when the dragon ascended to heaven was designated as the Dragon Boat Festival, and a dragon boat race was held to celebrate it.

The fifth legend of Dragon Boat Festival: the legend in memory of Gou Jian, the King of Yue.

In Zhejiang, there is also a legend that Gou Jian practiced the water army. In the Song Dynasty, Gao Cheng published the article "The Origin of Things". The Dragon Boat Festival originated from Gou Jian, the King of Yue in the Spring and Autumn Period. He practiced the water army every day. "The Origin of Things" is quoted from "The Legend of Crossing the Sea", saying: "The beginning of the competition was Gou Jian, the king of Yue, and now the dragon boat is also."

He ascended the throne in the first 496 years. He was defeated by the State of Wu and forced to surrender. He lived in the state of Wu for three years, cheated the trust of Fu Cha, the king of Wu, and was put back to Yue. By paying for work and tasting courage, and reusing Fan Li and literary style, Vietnam's national strength gradually recovered. On the fifth day of May of that year, the navy was established and began to practice.

In the first 482 years, Fu Cha, the king of Wu, tried his best to attend the Huangchi meeting, leaving only the prince and the old and weak to defend the country. Gou Jian, the King of Yue, took advantage of the situation and defeated Wu Shi. Fu Cha quickly formed an alliance with the State of Jin and returned. Lien Chan was unfavorable and had to make peace with Yue. In 473 BC, Fu Cha was forced to commit suicide, and Wu was finally wiped out in one fell swoop. In order to show Gou Jian's indomitable spirit, later generations followed the practice of the Yue navy and rowed a boat race on the fifth day of May as a souvenir. This is the legend of the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival.

No matter what kind of statement it originated from, or the combination of various statements, the Dragon Boat Festival has entrusted people with the desire to welcome blessings and avoid disasters. Dragon Boat Festival is a beautiful festival. People can feel the nourishment of culture and the true meaning of life in this colorful but not strong atmosphere of folk festivals.