The Boat Festival is a traditional festival that celebrates the life of Qu Yuan, an ancient Chinese poet. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Festival falls on 18th June 2018, 7th June 2019 and 25th June 2020 and is a public holiday in Hong . Besides for Asian countries, the United States, Canada and European countries like Germany also celebrate the Duanwu Festival, mainly with dragon boat races. This item is available in full to subscribers. Moon Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival - September 29, 2023. Dragon Boat Festival has been celebrated in China for over 2000 years and is believed to start at the same time as the Olympic Games. Volunteers. Read on to find out more about this festival. China Travel Restrictions 2023 & Travel Advisory. Youre very welcome, Pam. 1. 400. Dragon boat racing has been practiced continuously since this period as the basis for annual water rituals and festival celebrations, and for the traditional veneration of the Chinese dragon water deity. Summary. Read More , The Chinese have raced dragon boats for centuries, as an appeal to the water gods during the sweltering summer months. 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. Dragon boat racing is a popular Dragon Boat Festival activity. CELEBRATION. , Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan). DONATE Celebrate! Legend has it that when they realized he was attempting to drown himself, the citizenry rushed in boats to the middle of the river in an attempt to save him or at least retrieve his body. The Chinese event has been celebrated for over 2,000 years, believed to prevent disease and invoke good health. In the early years of the Republic of China, Duanwu was celebrated as the "Poets' Day" due to Qu Yuan's status as China's first known poet. Some people also participate in other activities like dragon boat drumming, which is believed to bring good luck to a teams performance. In 2023, Dragon Boat Festival falls on June 22 (Thursday). of China with those looking for a more authentic travel experience. Office of the Chief Executive. Office of the Chief Executive. Most zongzi are still made in using a traditional bamboo wrapper. Other common activities include hanging up icons of Zhong Kui (a mythic guardian figure), hanging mugwort and calamus, taking long walks, and wearing perfumed medicine bags. Southern regions in China prefer savory zongzi, with a variety of fillings including marinated pork belly, sausage, and salted duck eggs. A popular origin story is again about Qu Yuan. The reason why the Chinese eat zongzi on this special day has many statements. The third way to celebrate the Dragon boat festival is to hang Chinese mugwort and calamus. 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. They are believed to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck to those who wear them. Read More , Rice dumplings are parcels of glutinous rice stuffed with different savory or sweet fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves. Dragon Boat Festival, also called Duanwu Festival, is one of the four grandest traditional festivals in China, falling on 5th day of the 5th month in Chinese lunar calendar. OCA SACRAMENTO - Asian Pacific American Advocates, Embracing the Hopes and Aspirations of Asian Pacific Americans, P.O. Qu Yuan was a faithful government official who was unjustly slandered. Explore destinations at your own pace. We can help you plan your itinerary, book your accommodation, and even provide local tips and advice. Dragon boat races and dumplingstwo of the most distinctive elements of the festival have their roots in a story of patriotism and politics. Dragons are of great cultural value to the Chinese people. There is also a drummer who sits at the bow of the boat facing the paddlers. The festival involves colorful celebration activities. Since the shape ofcalamus leaves is sword-like, hanging theplantis also believed to dispel eviland bring health to the family,especiallychildren., Many contagious diseases and plagues were said to originate during the fifth lunar month,when the Dragon Boat Festival takes place.The fifth lunar month was considered an unlucky month.. Ching Ming Festival or Tomb Sweeping Day - April 5, 2023. Made from glutinous rice flour and water, they are boiled together until a dough forms. So glad that this is a helpful resource for you, Essie! The Dragon Boat Race has become an important sporting event in Germany. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. It is summertime when the Dragon Boat Festival comes. Each year, we encourage our next generation to express their thoughts and ideas in their own creative writing. The coalition brings together community leaders from civil rights and social justicegroups, multicultural chambers, interfaith, educators, legislators, and lawmakers to collaborate on hate crimes and bullyingby maintaining open lines of communications, sharing resources, in addition to outreach and education to communities. ", Special Administrative Region of Macao. [15] A cadet member of the Chu royal house, Qu served in high offices. From the Jin dynasty, Zongzi officially became the festival food and long last until now. Attendees. Go Inside China's Lively Dragon Boat Festival Celebrations. Manage Settings Live dragon boat races can be seen on most major bodies of water in China during the festival. Dragon boat racing is increasingly popular in cities around the world. /VCG. Chinese Dragon Boat Festival falls on the 5th day of the 5th month on the Chinese lunar calendar. Sweet flag is an importantpart of the festival.It is a herb and is regarded as a symbol of braveryin Japanese culture. The Colorado Dragon Boat Festival is BACK! . exciting activities, and unveil the stories behind the sights and people. use of cookies. Typically, the festival brings in thousands of visitors along the Charles River and is . Other people celebrate the festival by participating in cultural activities, spending time with family and friends, or by watching the races from shore. The dragon boat festival is a fun, boisterous holiday. Almost every Chinese holiday has a specific food or foods associated with it, and Dragon Boat Festival is no different. Chinese people call the Dragon Boat Festival - Dun W Ji | . This festival is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month in the Lunar Calendar. Knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and attentive your personal local guides will The festival occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese lunisolar calendar. For example, people may paste pictures of the five poisonous creatures on the wall and stick needles in them. Realgar wine or xionghuangwine is a Chinese alcoholic drink that is made from Chinese yellow wine dosed with powdered realgar. Xi Shi, a beautiful woman sent by King Goujian of the state of Yue, was much loved by King Fuchai of Wu. In ancient times, people believed that realgar was an antidote for all poisons, and effective for killing insects and driving away evil spirits. Hence the "Tuen Ng Festival" in Hong Kong[11] Tun Ng (Festividade do Barco-Drago in Portuguese) in Macao.[12][13]. [citation needed], Three of the most widespread activities conducted during the Dragon Boat Festival are eating (and preparing) zongzi, drinking realgar wine, and racing dragon boats.[21]. Hi! Traditionally, the fifth lunar month was considered to be an unlucky time. Today only a few of the more traditional older family members will bother to cook their own, while the majority are purchased from restaurants and bakers. Fortunately, theyre also really fun to make at home with eager kids. share interesting stories, insider information, and even create unexpected Participating in or attending dragon boat races, A Brief Guide to the Chinese New Year ( Chnji). On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Chinese people, especially children, made incense bags and hung them on their necks to avoid catching contagious diseases and to keep evil spirits awayat this inauspicious time. The people of China generally receive a three-day break from work in order to celebrate with friends and family. In addition to competitive races, the festival also includes various cultural activities such as concerts and has become a massive event in the city's social calendar that both locals and tourists flock to each year. Overall, the dragon boat festival celebrates the importance of teamwork, perseverance, and Hard work. These special pouches are filled with aromatic herbs and spices such as cloves, cinnamon, star anise, and more. Many older Chinese people still make traditional holiday foods by hand. Yu Der Ling writes in chapter 11 of her 1911 memoir Two Years in the Forbidden City: The first day of the fifth moon was a busy day for us all, as from the first to the fifth of the fifth moon was the festival of five poisonous insects, which I will explain lateralso called the Dragon Boat Festival. The Dragon Boat Festival is an annual festival held in China each year on the 5 th day of the fifth month (; wyu;) of the traditional Chinese calendar. This festival commemorates Qu Yuan, a famous Chinese poet and official who committed suicide by drowning himself in the Yi River as a form of protest against corruption and tyranny by the emperor of China, Houfei. During the festival, people hang itfrom theireaves, lay it on roofs, put it under pillows, bathe in sweet flag water,and drink sweet flag wine.People believe this can help chase away plaguesand evil spirits. Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, New York, Denver, and other cities hold large-scale dragon boat races regularly. The use of the lunar calendar to set the festivals date means that it is celebrated at a different time every year. 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. Eight years later, in 151, a temple was built in Shangyu dedicated to the memory of Cao E and her sacrifice for filial piety. Youll find them for sale at a Dragon Boat Festival, as well as throughout Chinatown. The story of Qu Yuans suicide is often used to explain the dragon boat racing tradition. 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. . Other traditionalactivities include hanging up icons of Zhong Kui (a mythic guardian figure), bathing in herbalwaters, making an egg stand at noon, boiling garlic, and more. [7], The Mandarin Chinese name of the festival is "" (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: Dunwji; WadeGiles: Tuan Wu chieh)[b] in Mainland China and Taiwan,[8][6][9] and "Tuen Ng Festival" for Hong Kong, Macao,[10] Malaysia and Singapore. It commemorates the death of Qu Yuan, a Chinese poet and minister known for his patriotism and contributions to classical poetry and who eventually became a national hero. 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. Another possible explanation for the origins of the festival is linked to superstitions surrounding the date on which it falls. 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