What are the special tourist activities around the country during the Dragon Boat Festival 2016

Various folk activities:

Dragon Boat Rowing

The word "Dragon Boat" was first used in the ancient pre-Qin book Mu Tianzi biography, Volume 5: "The Son of Heaven took the bird boat, the Dragon Boat floated in the Great Marsh." In the book "Nine Songs - Xiangjun", scholars also believe that "Flying Dragon" is a dragon boat.

Pick the dragon boat

Dragon boat racing before the first to invite the dragon, sacrificing to the gods. Such as Guangdong dragon boat, in the Dragon Boat before the Dragon Boat Festival, from the underwater up, sacrificed in the South China Sea Temple in the South China Sea God, after the installation of the dragon head, dragon tail, and then ready to race. And buy a pair of paper rooster on the dragon boat, that can bless the boat safe (vaguely corresponding to the ancient bird boat). Min, Taiwan is to the Mazu Temple worship. A variety of rituals, commemorative ceremonies, is nothing more than pointing incense and candles, burning paper money, for chicken, rice, meat, fruit, dumplings and so on. Nowadays, these superstitious rituals are rare, but in the past, people worshiped the Dragon God Temple in a very serious atmosphere, and prayed for a good agricultural harvest, good wind and rainfall, to get rid of evil spirits, to avoid calamities, and to have a good time, as well as to bless the boating safety. In people's words, "for good luck", to express the good wishes of people's hearts. And in Zigui, the hometown of Qu Yuan in Hubei province, there are also rituals circulating to worship Qu Yuan.

Dragon pool racing

Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties of emperors, have the water's edge to watch the dragon boat entertainment, also belongs to the game and so on. The old book of the Tang Dynasty recorded Mu Zong, Jing Zong, have "watch the race" thing. Tokyo dream record" volume 7, recorded in the northern song dynasty emperor in the water temple to see jinming pond dragon boat racing custom. One of the colorful boat, music boat, small boat, painting cabin, small dragon boat, tiger boat for viewing, music, there is a long forty feet of the big dragon boat. In addition to the big dragon boat, other boats in formation, competing bidding, as entertainment. Song zhang zeduan "jinming pond to capture the map" that depicts this scene. Ming Dynasty emperors and emperors, in Zhongnanhai Ziguangge to watch the dragon boat, to see the Royal Archery Supervisor warriors running horses and archery. The Qing dynasty in the Yuanmingyuan Fuhai held a race, Qianlong, Jiaqing Emperor, etc. are to watch. [4]

In the rowing dragon boat, and more singing to cheer the dragon boat song circulated. Such as zigui in hubei zigui rowing dragon boat, there is a complete cantata, words and music according to the local folk songs and horns fusion and become, singing sound majestic and magnificent, heart-stopping, that is, "lifting the bow and the phase and the" of the legacy of the wind. Another example is the Dragon Boat Song of Nanxiong County, Guangdong Province, which is sung after the launch of the Dragon Boat in April until the end of the Dragon Boat Festival, with a wide range of performance content.

Hanging mugwort and calamus

Calamus

The folk proverb says: "Qingming willow, Dragon Boat Festival plug Ai". During the Dragon Boat Festival, people take inserting moxa and calamus as one of the important contents. Mugwort, also known as family mugwort, mugwort. Its stem and leaves contain volatile aromatic oil. The strange fragrance it produces can drive away mosquitoes, flies, insects and ants and purify the air. In Chinese medicine, moxa is used as medicine, which has the functions of regulating qi and blood, warming the uterus, and dispelling cold and dampness. The leaves of moxa are processed into "moxa velvet", which is an important herb for moxibustion. Acorus calamus is a perennial aquatic herb, its long and narrow leaves also contain volatile aromatic oils, which is a drug for refreshing the mind, strengthening the bones and eliminating stagnation, and killing worms and sterilizing bacteria. It can be seen that the ancient people inserted Ai and calamus is a certain role in disease prevention, these activities also reflect the fine tradition of the Chinese people.

"Holding the flag of moxa invites a hundred blessings, and the door hangs a bushel of swords to cut down a thousand evils". Hanging mugwort and calamus at the door on the Dragon Boat Festival is like putting on a spiritual talisman, which can bring benefits and avoid harm. Over the Dragon Boat Festival, usually tie the mugwort into a bunch, and then inserted in the lintel, or at each end of the lintel inserted a mugwort.

Mugwort

Mugwort is a kind of medicinal herb that can cure diseases, and sticking it in the doorway represents inviting a hundred blessings, which can make the owner healthy. It has been a medicinal plant since ancient times in China, and the moxibustion method inside acupuncture uses mugwort as the main ingredient, which is placed on acupuncture points to be cauterized to cure diseases. Legends about mugwort's ability to ward off evil spirits have been passed down for a long time, mainly because of its medicinal properties.

Mugwort is an aromatic Chinese medicine that has a strong effect of repelling poison and removing the plague. Hanging and burning mugwort leaves can sterilize and prevent plague epidemics. Mugwort has the function of warming menstruation and stopping bleeding, dispersing cold and relieving pain, most of the clinical external use, such as moxibustion, decoction of external washing, etc., less prescription, such as typhoid fever in the "gelatinized mugwort soup" and so on used in the mugwort leaves.

The Dragon Boat Festival has its own reasons for hanging mugwort, calamus (Pu Jian) or pomegranate and garlic at the door. Usually, moxa, banyan and calamus are tied into a bundle with red paper and then inserted or hung on the door. Because calamus in the sky in the first of the five Swiss, symbolizing the sword to drive away bad luck, because of the growing season and the shape of the sense of the "hundred yin of the gas", the leaves are sword-shaped, inserted in the door to ward off evil spirits. The leaves are sword-shaped and can be inserted in the doorway to ward off evil spirits. Therefore, it was called "Water Sword" by the priests, and later on, it was extended to "Pu Sword" by the custom, which can cut off a thousand evil spirits. The Qing Dynasty Gu Tieqing in the "Qing Jia Record" has a paragraph "cut off the bushes for the sword, cut Peng as a whip, deputy to the peach stalks garlic, hanging in the bed, all to but ghosts".

Hanging mugwort, calamus, banyan branches

And the Jin Dynasty "customs" in the "tiger-shaped mugwort, or cut color for a small tiger, post to the mugwort leaves, the inner people scramble to cut. Later, more calamus, or as a human figure, or Xiao sword-like, named Pu Jian, to drive away evil but ghosts.

Mugwort represents inviting a hundred blessings, is a herb that can cure diseases, inserted in the doorway, can make the body healthy. It has been a medicinal plant in ancient times in China, and moxibustion, the method of moxibustion inside acupuncture, uses mugwort as the main ingredient and is placed on acupuncture points to be cauterized to cure diseases.

The legend that wormwood can drive away evil spirits has been passed down for a long time, mainly because it has the function of medicine, like the security hours of the "Jing Chu chronicle" recorded that "the chicken is not yet crowing, picking wormwood looks like a human figure, and take it to collect to moxibustion, it is very effective. This is the day to pick the wormwood in the shape of a man, hanging on the door, can avoid poisonous gas."

The Dragon Boat Festival is the first festival after the beginning of summer, the temperature rises, it is the period of disease, so many years ago people tend to hang a few plants of mugwort in front of their homes, due to the special fragrance of mugwort, people use it to drive away diseases, mosquitoes, and ward off evil spirits. [15]

Duanwu food dumplings

Dumplings

Duanwu Festival to eat zongzi, which is another traditional custom of the Chinese people. Zongzi, also known as "corn", "tube dumplings". It has a long history, a variety of patterns.

According to records, as early as in the Spring and Autumn period, with Zizania leaves (wild rice leaves) wrapped in millet into a horn-shaped, called "corner of millet"; bamboo tube with rice sealed and baked, called "tube dumplings". The end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, to grass ash water soaked in millet, because the water contains alkali, with Mushroom leaves wrapped in millet into a quadrangular shape, cooked, became the Guangdong alkaline water rice dumplings.

Jin Dynasty, dumplings were officially designated as Dragon Boat Festival food. At that time, the package of raw materials in addition to glutinous rice, but also add the Chinese medicine Yizhi Ren, cooked zongzi called "Yizhi zongzi". Zhou Zhou, "Yueyang customs and local history" records: "commonly wrapped in millet with Aizome leaves, ...... cooked, and rotten, on the fifth of May to the summer solstice to eat, a zong, a millet." North and South Dynasty period, the emergence of mixed rice dumplings. Rice mixed with animal and poultry meat, chestnuts, jujubes, adzuki beans, etc., more varieties. Zongzi also used as a gift for interaction.

The Tang Dynasty, rice dumplings, has "white as jade", the shape of the cone, diamond-shaped. Japanese literature recorded in the "Tang dumplings". Song Dynasty, there has been "candied rice dumplings", that is, fruit into the dumplings. The poet Su Dongpo has "in the dumplings see prunes" poem. At this time also appeared with zongzi piled up into buildings, pavilions, wooden cars, cows and horses for the advertisement, indicating that the Song Dynasty to eat zongzi has been very fashionable. Yuan, Ming period, zongzi parcel material has changed from zongmu leaf for Ruo leaf, and later appeared with reed leaf package zongzi, additional material has appeared bean paste, pork, pine nuts, jujube, walnuts and so on, varieties are more colorful.

Till now, the beginning of May every year, Chinese people have to dip glutinous rice, wash zongzi leaves, package zongzi, its more colorful varieties. From the filling point of view, the north more packages of small jujube Beijing jujube zong; the south has bean paste, fresh meat, ham, egg yolk and other fillings, which is represented by Zhejiang Jiaxing zongzi. Eat zongzi custom, for thousands of years, in China prevailed, and spread to North Korea, Japan and Southeast Asian countries. [16]

Bathing in orchid soup

The Duanwu Orchid Bathing Ceremony

The bathing in orchid soup on Duanwu Day is an ancient custom documented in the Daidai Ritual. However, the orchid in the text is not an orchid, but a pellucid or herb of the chrysanthemum family, which is fragrant and can be decocted for bathing. There is also a line in Jiu Ge (Nine Songs) and Yun Zhong Jun (The King of the Clouds) that says, "Bathing in orchid soup is a great way to bathe in the fragrance of the orchid. The Jing Chu Chronicle: "The fifth day of the fifth month is called the Orchid Bathing Festival." The Five Miscellaneous Chopsticks recorded that people in the Ming Dynasty bathed in orchid soup because it was unavailable, so they took five-colored grasses at noon and bathed in them. Later, they usually fried bushes, mugwort and other herbs to take a bath.

In Guangdong, the use of bitter herbs or wheat medicine, Ai, Pu, Fenxian, Magnolia and other flowers and herbs; in Hunan, Guangxi and other places, the use of cypress leaves, Dafeng root, Ai, Pu, peach leaves and other boiled into a medicinal water bath. Regardless of men and women, young and old, the whole family washed, this custom still exists today, is said to cure skin diseases, go to the evil spirit. [

Flying Kites

In southern China, children fly kites during the Dragon Boat Festival, known as "Flying Calamities".

Peiduniang

The headdress of women on the Duanwu Festival in the olden days. Mostly found in Jiangnan. Some areas are also called Jianren. This object is said to have originated from the ancient step rocker, and the other is said to be a different form of Ai Ren. Qingjiazhu" cited "Tang and Song dynasty records" cloud: "Jiang who north and south, five hairpin color wins the system, ready to very clever. Where the fabric pin Jian system Ai leaves, or save embroidery Xian, Buddha, Hop, Wu, insects, fish, the shape of the beasts, eight treasures such as flowers. Crepe spiders, Cherry Fenglin, cocoon tiger fluffy dor, rows of grass lizards, and praying mantis spider cicada scorpion, and gourd fruits and gourds, color and realism. To add streamers treasure cover, embroidered balls and tassels, bells and bells in hundreds of shapes, or coherent to the string, the name is doudoune moncler, can not be counted."

Bolting five-color silk thread

Five-color silk thread

In traditional Chinese culture, the five colors of "green, red, white, black and yellow", which symbolize the five elements of the Five Directions, are regarded as auspicious colors. On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, children tie five-colored threads around their wrists and ankles to protect their health.

Therefore, early in the morning of the Dragon Boat Festival, the adults in each family get up the first big thing is in the children's wrists, ankles, neck tethered to the five-color line. When tying the line, it is forbidden for children to speak. Five-color line can not be arbitrarily broken or discarded, only in the first summer rain or the first bath, thrown into the river. It is said that children wearing the five-color thread can avoid the harm of snakes and scorpions; throwing it into the river means letting the river wash away plagues and diseases, so that children can stay healthy. [18]

Picking tea, making herbal tea

Some areas in the north, like the Dragon Boat Festival picking young leaves, wild vegetables leaves steamed and dried, made of tea. Guangdong Chaozhou area, people go to the countryside mountains and fields to pick herbs, boiled herbal tea to drink. This is also good for health.

Painting the forehead

The custom of smearing children's foreheads with xionghuang during the Dragon Boat Festival can drive away poisonous insects. Typical method is to use the male yellow wine in the children's forehead painting "Wang" word, a borrowed male yellow to drive away poison, the second borrowed tiger ("Wang" like the tiger's forehead, and tiger for the king of the beasts, because of the substitution of the tiger) in order to quell the evil. Qing Fu-cha Duncan, "Yanjing times": "Each to the Danyang, since the first day of the first day, take the andrographis sprinkled with wine, coated with children's collars and between the nose and ears, in order to avoid poisons." In addition to the forehead, nose and ears coated, can also be coated elsewhere, with the same intention. Shanxi "Hequ County Zhi" cloud: "Dragon Boat Festival, drink xionghuang wine, coated with pediatric forehead and two hands, feet heart, ...... said can be but sick to prolong life."

Dodge Dragon Boat Festival

This refers to the newly married or married women to go home for the festival, referred to as the "dodge Wu", also known as "dodge Duanwu". Commonly in May, May 5 for the evil month, the evil day, all things need to avoid, because there are women home to avoid the custom of the Dragon Boat Festival. This custom seems to have been formed in the Song Dynasty, Lu You "rich years" poem has "goat cavity wine stretcher to meet the women, the drums and dragon boat * * * race God" line. Jiajing Longqing Zhi" also recorded cloud: "married women called back to the festival". And, "Luanzhou Zhi": "women's new marriage, and then the month are welcome to return, known as 'hide the Dragon Boat Festival' ". [19]

Pei long life wisp

Five-color long life wisp

Duanwu Festival when the aversion to victory wear. Also known as renewal of life, renewal of life silk, prolonged life strand, longevity line, hundred rope, Pai Bing Shao, colorful strand, etc., name varies, shape, function is generally the same. Its custom in the Dragon Boat Festival to five-color silk knot and into the rope, or hanging in the door, or wear children's neck, or tie children's arms, or hanging in the bed net, cradle, etc., is said to be able to avoid disaster in addition to disease, blessing of well-being, longevity.

This kind of festival form of five: simple to five-color silk thread into a rope, tied to the arm; in the colorful rope decorated with gold and tin ornaments, hanging on the neck; colorful rope folded into a square win, decorated in front of the chest; colorful rope knots for the portrait of the wearer; colorful silk embroidered and painted the sun, moon, stars, beasts and other things, to honor the elders. This custom began in the Han Dynasty. East Han Ying Shao "customs - anonymous text": "noon, to colorful silk tie arm, to avoid ghosts and soldiers, people do not disease plague, a long life wisp, a Pai Bing Shao". Afterwards, it has become a custom until recent and modern times. Qing Fuzha Dunsun "Yanjing times" record of the custom: "Every year to the Danyang, the Cabinet of the clever, with the continued Luo made of small tiger and dumplings, pots and pans, cherries, mulberries, and so on, to color threads, hanging in the hairpin, or tied to the back of the child." In which the Tang and Song dynasties, there are more court to give ministers of such festivals. History of the Tang dynasty emperor xingyuan yuan year end of the festival, the court had given a hundred rope a shaft. And "Song history - rites of fifteen": "the day before, to the gold strands of longevity belt, color silk renewed life strands given to the hundred officials. Festival wear to enter."

Wearing scented bags

Duanwu Festival with scented bags, scented bags, scented bags (3)

Wearing scented bags, scented bags, scented bags, scented bags, purse, etc., there are five-color silk thread wrapped, there are rags sewn together, filled with spices (made of the Chinese herbs Angelica dahuricae, Rhizoma Ligustici Chuanxiong, Scullcapia baicalensis, paixao, sannetia, licorice, Gao Beng rows), worn in front of the chest, the scent of the nose. Chen Shiliang's "Guangji of the Years and Seasons," citing the "Miscellaneous Records of the Years and Seasons," mentions a type "made on the fifth day of the fifth month in red and white colors like a capsule, threaded with colored threads, and made to resemble a flower in a convulsive manner." As well as another "clam powder bell": "the fifth day of the end of the clam powder in the silk, decorated with sheep, as a number of beads. So that children with to absorb sweat also". These carry bags, the contents of several changes, from the sweat of the clam powder, to drive away evil spirits, copper, andrographis powder, the development of the spice-filled scented pouches, the production is becoming more and more sophisticated, become the Dragon Boat Festival unique folk art.

Wearing a scented bag is quite delicate. The elderly in order to prevent disease and fitness, generally like to wear plum blossoms, chrysanthemums, peaches, apples, lotus, dolls riding a fish, dolls holding a rooster, double lotus and other shapes, symbolizing the birds and flowers, all the best, husband and wife love, family harmony. Children like the birds and animals, such as tigers, leopards; monkeys on the pole, cockfighting rabbits and so on. Young people to wear the most delicate package, if it is a passionate lover, that sentimental girl early to elaborate one or two chic package, rushed to send their lover before the festival. The young man wearing a sweetheart to give the bag of incense, naturally, to cause the surrounding men and women's comments, straight to the object of the boy boasted handyman.

Avoid five poisons

Five poisons

Duanwu in the minds of the ancients is a poisonous day, evil day, in the folk beliefs of this idea has been passed down, so there are all kinds of peace, avoiding the custom of disaster. In fact, this is because the summer weather is hot and dry, people are prone to illness, the plague is also easy to epidemic; coupled with the multiplication of snakes and insects, easy to bite people, so be very careful, which is the formation of this custom.

Picking medicine

This is one of the oldest Dragon Boat Festival customs. The Xia Xiaozheng (夏小正) reads, "This is the day to store up medicines in order to remove poisonous qi." The yearly record" volume 22 "picking miscellaneous medicine" cited "Jing Chu yearly record" anonymous text: "May 5, competition picking miscellaneous medicines, can cure all diseases." Wei "Qimin Yaojutsu - miscellaneous records", there are May catch toad records, is also a pharmaceutical. Later, there are many regions have the custom of catching toads at the Dragon Boat Festival, such as Jiangsu in the Dragon Boat Festival collection of toads, pricked its foam, the production of traditional Chinese medicine toadstools; Hangzhou people also give small children to eat toad, said to be able to eliminate the fire and cool, no sores in the summer. There are also five days in the mouth of the toad plug ink ingots, hanging up to dry, that is, into the toad ingots, coated in pus sores can be dissipated. The custom of catching toads to make medicine originated from the Han Dynasty "toads and soldiers" legend. Another example is Hubei Jianli in the Dragon Boat Festival "picking grass", also picking herbs custom. Picking medicine is because before and after the Dragon Boat Festival herb stems and leaves ripe, medicinal properties, only on this day to form this custom. [17]

Drinking Pu Wine, Xionghuang Wine, and Zhuzha Wine

Xionghuang Wine

Drinking Pu Wine, Xionghuang Wine, and Zhuzha Wine, and sprinkling the spray with wine. Jing Chu Shou Shi Ji: "Take calamus (perennial herb, born at the water's edge, with light red rhizomes underground, leaves shaped like swords, and fleshy spikes. The rhizome can be used as a spice or medicine) or skeletonized or crumbled to cold wine." Pu wine has an aromatic flavor and a refreshing taste, and later on, andrographis and vermilion sand were added to the wine. Ming Xie Zhaozhuang "five miscellaneous Tsui": "drink calamus wine also ...... and andrographis into the wine to drink." Ming Feng Yingjing "Moon Order Guangyi": "five days with cinnabar wine, to ward off evil spirits and detoxification, with the wine dye forehead chest hands and feet heart, no will be venomous (an ancient book said a venomous snake) snake's plague. And sprinkle the walls, doors and windows to avoid poisonous insects." This custom is widely spread.

To this day, such as Guangxi Binyang, every Dragon Boat Festival will have packets of medicinal materials for sale, including xionghuang, Zhu Lei, cypress, peach kernel, bushels, mugwort leaves, etc., people soaked in wine and then dipped in calamus aiphone sprinkled wall corners, doors, windows, under the bed, etc., and then wine coated with children's ears, nose and navel to drive away the venomous insects, and pray for the peace of the children. In addition, some areas also use the end of the staghorn wine in the children's forehead painting "Wang" word, so that children with the mark of the tiger, to use the tiger to ward off evil spirits. These activities, from the health point of view, or scientific reasoning. Andrographis plus water and wine sprinkled indoors can be sterilized, drinking bushels of sprinkles is also quite beneficial. [17]

An old saying once said, "Drinking the andrographis, the disease are far away." Andrographis is a mineral, commonly known as "cockleshell", its main component is arsenic sulfide, and contains mercury, toxic. Generally drink xionghuang wine, just in white wine or home-brewed yellow wine to add trace andrographis and become, no pure drinking. Xionghuang wine has the effect of antiseptic and insect repellent to solve the five poisons, Chinese medicine is also used to cure skin diseases. In the absence of iodine and other disinfectants in ancient times, the use of andrographis soaked wine, you can get rid of poison and relieve itching. Not to the drinking age of small children, adults will give their forehead, ears and nose, hands and feet heart and other places coated with andrographis, intended to disinfect and prevent disease, insects and insects do not bite.

Duanwu rain

Duanyang no rain is a good year. Duanwu day rain, ghosts prosperous people disaster. On the fifth day of the fifth month, people are exposed to medicine, and there is no disaster in the year. Rain then ghost exposure medicine, people sick.

Folk year-end occupation test custom. It is said that the Dragon Boat Festival rain, unlucky; on the contrary, auspicious. This kind of belief in the long time ago that already existed. Chen Yuanliang "time and age" cited in the "Abstract Record" cloud: "May 5 whistle, people exposure medicine, the year without disaster. When it rains, ghosts expose medicine and people get sick. This Minzhong proverb." Xu Yueqing "second rhyme Shu Li Shizhou open Dragon Boat Festival" Note to the cloud: "Linchuan people say that the rain on the Dragon Boat Festival, the ghosts Wang people disaster. Zhao Huaiyu's poem is also quoted as saying, "No rain on the Duanwu day is a good year". [19]

Jumping Zhong Kui

Jumping Zhong Kui

Jumping Zhong Kui, haunted Zhong Kui: Since the Jin Dynasty, jumping Zhong Kui, haunted Zhong Kui, blessing the house is the Dragon Boat Festival and the Spring Festival is an important content. Hanging Zhong Kui paintings: the earliest Zhong Kui paintings are said to have come from the hand of Wu Daozi, the saint of painting.

According to the Northern Song Shen Kuo "Dream Stream Supplementary Pen Talk" records: Tang Ming Huang suffered from a disease for nearly a month, suddenly dreamed of two ghosts. The little ghost stole the Emperor's jade flute and Yang Guifei's purple scented pouch and fled, and the big ghost caught the little ghost and routed out its eyes, then broke and munched on it. The big ghost said: "I am Zhong Kui, that is, martial arts not successful also, swore to get rid of the world's demons with His Majesty." Tang Ming Huang woke up, that is, healed, then called the painter Wu Daozi, asked him to draw Zhong Kui ghost hunting according to the dream scene, Daozi waved the pen that became, Ming Huang saw, actually exactly the same as the dream, marveled. Later, Zhong Kui painting gradually into the folk, drawing Zhong Kui painting mostly made in May Dragon Boat Festival day, or a few days before and after the Dragon Boat Festival. To the Qing Dynasty, Jiangnan Su, Zhejiang area residents in the lunar month of May in the door or hall hanging Zhong Kui figure in January, in order to drive away evil, remove the evil lead to blessing.

Fighting grass

Qing Jin Tingbiao group of infants fighting grass scroll

Han before the fight of grass is not seen before the play ("social and common things through the ages - Shang Binghe"). The origin is not known, but it is generally believed to be related to the emergence of Chinese medicine. Ancient ancestors struggled to survive and lived a monotonous life, entertaining themselves by fighting insects, grasses and animals in their spare time, and after the formation of Chinese medicine by the legend "Shen Nong tasted all kinds of herbs", groups of people went out to the countryside to collect medicines at the Dragon Boat Festival and plugged in Ai on the door in order to solve the muggy poisonous disease, which was developed into a fixed custom; after harvesting, competitions were often held, in which they would report the name of the flower and the name of the grass in pairs, and the one who had more would win. After the harvest, competitions were often held in which the names of flowers and grasses were announced to each other in the form of duets, with the winner being the one who had more names, which was a wonderful combination of botanical knowledge and literary knowledge. Bai Juyi's poem "Watching Children's Play" says: "Getting dust or fighting grasses, enjoying playing all day long."

The original text of the book says, "It began with the Han Dynasty". According to the Liang Dynasty, Mr. Zong Security Department in the "Jingchu Years and Seasons", "May 5, the four people and step on a hundred grasses, and there is a fight grass play." "Nianhua Ji Li": "Duanwu knot hut storage medicine, fighting grass, wrapped in five silk."

North and South Dynasty, called "step on a hundred grass", the Tang Dynasty, called "fighting grass" or "fight a hundred grass". Liu Binjiajiu" cloud: "Tang Zhongzong dynasty, Princess Anle five days fight hundred grass." Song Dynasty extended to weekdays at any time. This has been described in the works of many literati throughout the ages.

Other customs

Polo

Duanwu archery play, "Jin Shi - Rites of Passage": "Jin because of Liao custom, the heavy five days of willow to the ground about a few inches, peeled and white. First to a man galloped ahead of the horse, then galloped back to the featherless horizontal tufts of arrows shot. Both broken willow, but also by hand to catch and relax to go for the top. Broken and can not be connected to the second. Every shot must send drums to help its gas." To the Ming Dynasty, is the bird stored in the gourd shot. Playing polo, is also one of the Dragon Boat Festival. Polo, is riding on a horse, holding a stick to play ball, the ancient name for bowing. Cao Zhi of the Three Kingdoms, "the name of the chapter" in the "even hit the bow border" sentence. Chang'an in the Tang dynasty, there is a wide field, Emperor Xuanzong, Jingzong and other emperors like polo. Zhanghuai Prince's tomb in the "polo", painted the Tang Dynasty polo flourished: painting, more than 20 horses galloped, horse tail tied up, the ball player head 幞巾, foot on the boots, holding the ball staff by the ball hit each other.

In addition, Beijing has a custom to visit the Temple of Heaven. The Imperial Capital Scenic Spectacle" Volume II: "May 5, before noon, the group into the Temple of Heaven, the day to avoid poison also. After noon, walking horse altar under the wall. No Jiangcheng tie silk section corn common, but also for corn. No competition in the popular, but also competition in the game." Shanghai also Zhong Kui race, by a man decorated as Zhong Kui, wielding a sword, before holding a paper bat, as "drink Fu to late" shape; followed by a full set of honor guards, walking through the market, in order to drive away the evil spirits. In addition, during the Dragon Boat Festival, there are horse circus and duck-robbing activities.

Specialty food

Duanwu Festival Food Atlas (21)

The earliest appearance of the Dragon Boat Festival food, should be the Western Han Dynasty's "Lords of the soup". The Historical Records" "Xiaowu Benji" note quoted Ru Chun said: "Han made the East County to send the Lords, May 5 for the Lords soup to give the hundred officials. To the evil bird, so eat it". About because the lord is not easy to catch, so the custom of eating lord soup did not last. File is the protagonist of the Dragon Boat Festival - dumplings, a little later in the Eastern Han Dynasty has appeared. It was not until the Jin Dynasty that zongzi became the festival food of the Dragon Boat Festival.

"Wind and Land Records": "May 5, with the summer solstice, ...... first of these two festivals a day, but also sticky rice wrapped in Zizou leaves, mixed with corn, to Chun thick ash juice to cook to make it cooked." At the same time there is another Dragon Boat Festival food, known as "turtle" also only briefly in the Jin Dynasty, then disappeared. Only the book "of customs" called "corn" dumplings, because attached to the legend of Qu Yuan, for thousands of years, become the most popular Dragon Boat Festival food.