What is the significance of bringing a colorful rope to the Dragon Boat Festival? What does it represent?

Duanwu Festival with colorful silk threads compiled into a rope, hung around the neck of the child to avoid evil, known as "long-life wisps". Also known as "renewed wisps", "to avoid military bindings", "five-colored silk", "long life life line" and so on. Ancient May for the evil month, to its weather steam, disease is easy to epidemic, since the Han Dynasty, that is, in this month before and after the 5th, to color silk thread tied to the arm, said to protect the peace and health, but also said that the disaster can be avoided, so it is known as the knife and the army. Dragon Boat Festival wear colorful thread is very delicate. The colorful thread is made of five colors of thread.

◆The five colors are not just any five colors, but must be green, white, red, black and yellow. These five colors represent wood, gold, fire, water and earth in terms of the five elements of yin and yang.

◆At the same time, they symbolize east, west, south, north and center respectively, which implies the power of the five gods, which can drive away evils and demons, get rid of diseases and strengthen one's body, and make one live a long and healthy life. The colorful threads are made to be worn on the left side of the man and the right side of the woman, and can be tied either on the neck of the hand or on the neck of the foot.

◆Ancient China worshipped the five colors and took them as auspicious colors. Therefore, early in the morning of the festival, the first thing adults do after waking up is to tie five-color threads on the wrists, ankles and necks of children. When tying the thread, children are forbidden to speak. Five-color line can not be arbitrarily broken or discarded, only in the summer a heavy rain or the first bath, thrown into the river. It is said that children wearing the five-color thread can avoid the harm of poisonous insects like snakes and scorpions; throwing it into the river means letting the river wash away the plague and diseases, so that the children can keep their health and well-being.

◆Tying arms with five-color threads was once a popular festival custom. In the Han Dynasty, it was recorded in the book "The General Meaning of Customs" that "on the fifth day of the fifth month, five-color silk was given to renew the life of the people, and it was said to be beneficial to the life of the people." In the book of "Jing and Chu Years and Seasons", it was written: "Tying the arm with five-color silk, it was called "Pai Bing", and it was said that people would not be sick with the plague."

◆Also known as long-life wisp, life-continuing wisp, Pai Bing Shao, five-color wisp, Zhu Suo and so on. It is also said to be due to Qu Yuan and can drive away disasters.

◆Why is the colorful silk thread so powerful? In the East Jin Ge Hong's "Holding Park Zi", it is also recorded that there will be five-color paper hanging in the mountain, summoning the five sides of the ghosts and gods of sorcery, presumably to the five colors to symbolize the five sides of the ghosts and gods come to protect the meaning of the five elements of the ancient concepts of our country.

◆Additionally, it may be originated from the custom of tattooing in the ancient south. The Book of Han - Geography records that the Yue people "tattooed their bodies and broke their hair to prevent the harm of the dumpling dragon". Jin Liu Yiqing "Shishu" and other books, recorded in five-color silk wrapped around the dumplings to put into the river, for the mosquitoes and dragons are afraid. Although the Department of legend, but reveals a hint of information worth playing. Five-color silk tied to the arm, or for the body of the legacy, in addition to other ornaments.

◆For example, the "Taiping Yuban" cited "Customs)) anonymous text: "There are strips and other weaving group of miscellaneous items, to give each other." Article up to, that is, color woven silk ribbon, also with five-color silk line. And there are Pei support credit to avoid the custom of soldiers (this custom has long been lost, only the "Taiping Yuban" in the record).

◆These customs to the later generations, that is, the development of many kinds of beautiful and fun scent capsules and other ornaments. For example, "Tokyo Dreaming Records" recorded the Northern Song Dynasty Kaifeng over the Dragon Boat Festival to buy, "Baisuo, Ai (perennial grasses and wood board things, the leaves have a fragrance, can be used as medicine, internal use can be made to stop bleeding, but also for moxibustion on the use. Also called Ai Penny or herbs) flowers, silver-like drums child flowers." It is worn as an ornament.

◆ The Old Story of Wulin recorded the Southern Song Dynasty in Hangzhou, given to the consort ministers: "Cui leaves, five-color koi pomegranate, gold silk Cui fan, real beads Baisuo, hairpin charms, scripture tube, incense sachet, soft incense Dragon Birthday belts." Qing Dynasty Beijing Years and Years Jisheng: "Young girls cut colorful stacks of blessings, with soft silk sewn old healthy people, corn, garlic, five poisons, tigers and other styles." In the Dragon Boat Festival, it is to make a small scented capsule in the shape of a small human being (developed from the ancient Ai Man), zongzi, garlic, five poisons, and a tiger in the alley to wear.

◆ "qingjiazhu" recorded another kind of Jianren: "city people made of gold and silver silk for the traditional tassel (ancient hat tied to the band under the collar), bells and so on, riding in the tiger, very fine, decorated with small hairpin for the string, or useful copper wire, gold foil for the person, for the women inserted manes, but also to offer each other to Jaidi, the name of the Jianren." Women also wore ai on their buns and inserted pomegranate flowers, which could drive away evil spirits as well as decorate them.

◆Ying Shao's "Customs" recorded: "May 5" with colorful silk tied arm, the name of the long-life wisp, a renewed life wisp, an open military bindings, a five-color wisp, a Zhu Suo, to ward off soldiers and ghosts, the fate of the people do not fall ill with the plague.

◆Ancient China worshipped the five colors and took them as auspicious colors. Therefore, in the early morning of the festival, the first important thing for adults to do after getting up is to tie five-color threads on children's wrists, ankles and necks. When tying the thread, children are forbidden to speak. The five-color line can not be arbitrarily broken or discarded, only in the summer a heavy rain or the first bath thrown into the river. It is said that children wearing the five-color thread can avoid the harm of poisonous insects like snakes and scorpions. Throwing the thread into the river means letting the river wash away the plague and diseases, so that the children can keep their health and well-being.

◆Colorful threads are called "five-color threads", "Zhu Suo", "Bai Suo", etc., and they are necessary for the Dragon Boat Festival. Shaanxi custom, the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, the colorful silk strands tied to children's wrists, ankles and neck, said to be able to avoid evil spirits and prevent the five poisons close to the body. The colorful threads are worn until the sixth day of the sixth month, when they are cut off and thrown into the river to be washed away by the water. The colorful threads cannot be broken or thrown away arbitrarily, but can only be thrown into the river during a heavy rain or the first bath in summer.

◆The custom of wearing scented bags evolved from wearing colorful threads. Incense sachet is commonly called incense bag, and it is also an object that people must wear in the Dragon Boat Festival. It is made of various kinds of cloths, filled with spice powder made of cloves, vanilla, dahurica, sweet pine, atractylodes, and andrographis, etc. The colorful threads are used to make cords to be worn on children, and their function is to dispel diseases and avoid evil spirits. Nowadays, there are many kinds of shapes of the fragrant cloth bags, reflecting the characteristics of the times. Of course, in the body of a small child coated with xionghuang wine is also to ward off evil spirits and strengthen the body. Because there are so many roles and significance, so, the Dragon Boat Festival wear colorful threads, incense cloth bags and coated with xionghuang wine is still continuing to this day and not decline.