Northern regions in China prefer sweet or dessert-styled zongzi, with bean paste, jujube, and nuts as fillings. They are believed to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck to those who wear them. why it is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, the History and Legends of the Dragon Boat Festival, Click to know how to greetpeopleduringDragon Boat Festival, China Travel Restrictions & Travel Advisory, Qu Yuan: Chinese Poet in the Dragon Boat Festival Story, Dragon Boat Festival Traditions: The Top 7 Activities, China Travel Restrictions & Travel Advisory (Updated February 10, 2023), China Group Tours vs Private China Tours: 7 Key Differences, Spotlight Experiences for Romantic China Tour, 12-Day China Train Safari from North across South China, 12-Day Shanghai, Huangshan, Hangzhou, Guilin and Hong Kong Tour, 8-Day BeijingPingyaoXi'an Private Tour By High-Speed Train, 17-DayRelaxing Tour of Both Ancient & Modern Flavor, Loyalty There are several legends about its origin. As the month of noon is regarded as the middle point of summer, Duanwu Jie is interpreted as the commencement of mid-summer festivities.. The distance covered by racers can vary from 100 to 2,000 meters (328 to 6,562 feet). Mark Your Calendars Join Colorado's annual celebration of Asian and Asian American heritage with the biggest Dragon Boat Festival in the US! Yue Lan or Hungry Ghost Festival - August 30, 2023. Other people celebrate the festival by participating in cultural activities, spending time with family and friends, or by watching the races from shore. What is International Women's Day and how is it celebrated in China? There are usually many activities held during the festival., Every year when Dragon Boat Festival comes, in many Chinese cities there will be dragon boat racing. All of these activities are believed to keep disease or evil away,while promotinghealth and well-being. Youll find them for sale at a Dragon Boat Festival, as well as throughout Chinatown. Epic Trips Mini Trips Sailing Trips . During the festival, Singapore's East Coast Park hosts the annual international dragon boat race, which is one of the most anticipated Duanwu events and draws dragon boat teams from all over the world to participate in the fierce competition. This Friday is the annual Dragon Boat Festival. In China, zongzi commemorates the historical poet Qu Yuan - but the dish appeared 5,000 years ago, with some considering it the first 'fast food' for farmers The story best known in modern China holds that the festival commemorates the death of the poet and minister Qu Yuan (c.340278 BC) of the ancient state of Chu during the Warring States period of the Zhou dynasty. Here are some traditional ways to celebrate the Dragon boat festival in China. It originated traditionally to remember the patriot poet Qu Yuan ( ( c. 340-278 BC)), who drowned himself in the Milou River more than 2000 years ago. , Special Administrative Region of Macao. I'm Wes, a biracial Chinese American dad living in Oakland, California, who left the technology world when my son was born to serve this wonderfully diverse community of Chinese American families. 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. Despite the various ups and downs it has faced over the years, anyone who has the chance to experience the fun and infectious excitement of the Dragon Boat Festival in China will quickly understand why its popularity has endured for many millennia. Experience local culture by practicing it. As part of the festival, people eat zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) and race dragon boats. These special pouches are filled with aromatic herbs and spices such as cloves, cinnamon, star anise, and more. Read More . From the Jin dynasty, Zongzi officially became the festival food and long last until now. The Dragon Boat Festival is commemorated on the fifth lunar month fifth day. Names. 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. To honor the memory of Qu Yuan, a loyal minister who drowned himself in the river, people also throw bamboo leaves filled with cooked rice into the water as an offering to his spirit. One of China's major traditional festivals, the Dragon Boat Festival has been celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar for millennia. Another suggestion is that the festival celebrates a widespread feature of east Asian agrarian societies: the harvest of winter wheat. This 20th celebration. Now about this Feast. Dragon boat festival is an important Chinese traditional holiday. traditional Chinese holiday whose origins. Charles River near Weeks Footbridge June 9, 2019 The stories of both Qu Yuan and Wu Zixu were recorded in Sima Qian's Shiji, completed 187 and 393 years after the events, respectively, because historians wanted to praise both characters. A Japanese team was invited to compete alongside nine local teams kickstarting modern-day dragon boat competitions . Why Is Dragon Boat Festival So Important? At Duanwu Festival, people woulddrink realgar wine to drive evil things away and to promote a healthy life. [14] Big ceremonies and performances developed from these practices in many areas, making the Dragon Boat Festival a day for getting rid of disease and bad luck. Members of Boulder's Shaolin Hung Mei Kung Fu organization participate in a dragon dance during the opening ceremony for the 18th annual Colorado Dragon Boat Festival at Sloan's Lake Park on July 28, 2018. Influenced by Chinese culture, South Korea, Japan and other countries in Southeast Asia developed their own versionsof the Dragon Boat Festival, along with some unique customs. Some modern research suggests that the stories of Qu Yuan or Wu Zixu were superimposed onto a pre-existing holiday tradition. Colorado Dragon Boat Festival JULY 22ND & 23RD, 2023 SLOAN'S LAKE PARK IN DENVER. Dragons are of great cultural value to the Chinese people. of China with those looking for a more authentic travel experience. Follow along with this tutorial and learn to make a classic rice dumpling filled with pork, peanuts, sausage and mung beans. Dragon Boat Festival is just one of many fascinating Chinese holidays with roots stretching back into the distant past. Jie means festival. Dragon boat racing has a rich history of ancient ceremonial and ritualistic traditions, which originated in southern central China more than 2500 years ago. /VCG. [19][20], Dragon Boat Festival is unofficially observed by the Chinese communities of Southeast Asia, including Singapore and Malaysia. At this time, in addition to glutinous rice, the raw materials for making zongzi are also added with Chinese medicine Yizhiren. Do you Really happy to hear that, Jenny. Cao E is depicted in the Wu Shuang Pu (; Table of Peerless Heroes) by Jin Guliang. Dragon Boat Festival falls on June 14 in 2021. Some of the larger festivalse.g. In 1989, dragon boat racing was imported to Germany, with the first Dragon Boat Festival to mark the 800th anniversary of the port of Hamburg.After 1991, the races moved to Frankfurt and have continued to this day. Prior to the Dragon Boat Festival, its a good idea to pick up supplies to make rice dumplings, but thats all youll really need. The festival celebrates tradition and https://chinaler.com/dragon-well-tea/community while providing an opportunity to engage in healthy physical activity and celebrate local culture. Another explanation to the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival comes from before the Qin Dynasty (221206 BC). ", General Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China. EPIC MOROCCO BY CULTURE TRIP Read about my experience joining the Oakland Renegades to see if its for you. Knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and attentive your personal local guides will share interesting June 14th 2021 - Dragon Boat Festival. Some 800 blue carp streamers fly in Higashimatsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on May 5, 2019, in memory of children killed in the March 2011 tsunami that devastated the region. Please comment below if there are additional resources you would like to see added to the site! Also known as the Tuen Ng Festival, most people immediately associate the celebration with scrumptious rice dumplings and the thousands of paddlers . Generally, the holiday falls anywhere from the end of May to the end of June according to the Gregorian calendar (, yngl). These special pouches are filled with aromatic herbs and spices such as cloves, cinnamon, star anise, and more. The festival is a time to reflect on the importance of loyalty and commitment to the community. People believe that this will help keep bad spirits and diseases away. Hence the "Tuen Ng Festival" in Hong Kong[11] Tun Ng (Festividade do Barco-Drago in Portuguese) in Macao.[12][13]. The use of the lunar calendar to set the festivals date means that it is celebrated at a different time every year. After the great poet Qu Yuan drownedhimself in theriver, people scattered rice into the water to feed the fish, to prevent them from eating Qu Yuan's body. The view of Qu's social idealism and unbending patriotism became canonical under the People's Republic of China after 1949 Communist victory in the Chinese Civil War. The food may have originally represented an offering to the dragon king, while dragon boat racing naturally reflects a reverence for the dragon and the active yang energy associated with it. Attending a dragon boat festival outdoors is truly an all-ages experience. 'Wu' () in the name 'Duanwu' in Chinese has a similar pronunciation as the number 5 in multiple dialects, and thus many regions have traditions of eating food that is related to the number 5. The Dragon boat festival is celebrated differently in different parts of the world. North Korea Holidays and Festivals. Boat race begins at 8 a.m. both days find out more here.KEEP WESTWORD FREEWestword. Singaporeans, much like Chinese, usually eat zongzi and hold dragon boat races to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, as the country has a big population of Chinese migrants. About - Dragon Festival About Mission: To bring together the Greater Twin Cities diverse communities in celebration of the diverse Asian Pacific cultures through an annual dragon festival. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact. It is said that the local people, who admired him, raced out in their boats to save him, or at least retrieve his body. Significance of the Dragon Boat Festival Duanwu Jie is a widely celebrated holiday for the Chinese community-immigrants and non-immigrants in New York. 2023. Another theory, advanced by Wen Yiduo, is that the Dragon Boat Festival originated from dragon worship. The Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated on the fifth lunar month fifth day. Required fields are marked *. Also suggested to mean "Beginning of Noon", Chinese Government's Official Web Portal. The Dragon Boat Festivals traditional food, known as zongzi in Mandarin and joong in Cantonese, is a glutinous rice dumpling filled with savory or sweet fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves. The origin of this festival dates many centuries back and is based on activities in remembrance of a great Chinese poet, Qu Yuan. Fete Dragon Boat Festival with traditional zongzis and a slice of history, Copyright 2020 CGTN. Legend has it that a famous poet named . Although the size of the boats and their crews can vary, in most cases, the crew consists of 20 paddlers who sit side-by-side in pairs facing the bow. Explore destinations at your own pace. and pass them out as gifts, receive them, and eat them. the use of cookies. If you made a voluntary contribution in 2022-2023 of . Festival of Five Poisonous Insects (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: Dchng ji). Continue with Recommended Cookies. Festivals, Chinese China will have 3 days of public holiday from Thursday (June 22) to Saturday (June 24). 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Read on to find out more about this festival. Qu Yuans suicide is only one of the explanations that have been advanced, however. What started out as an occasion to remember legendary heroes has now become a ritualistic festival where people pay tribute to their ancestors, particularly water spirits and dragons. A bodice worn by kids with symbols of the Five Poisonous Insects on it to deter poisonous insects, and reptiles such as frogs, lizards, snakes. In South Korea, GangneungDanojeFestival is another version of the Dragon Boat Festival. 180. Read More , The Chinese have raced dragon boats for centuries, as an appeal to the water gods during the sweltering summer months. Year. China Highlights tailor-makes China tours to help travelers discover China will be within 24 hours. It is said that the winning team will have good luck and a happy life in the following year. Learn more about Dragon Boat Festival, one of Taiwan's biggest events, with teams from all over the world competing in races all over the island. Hey, Its Chinaler, here to be your expert guide with travelling China, Chinese learning, and China culture. Many of these informal races are held in communities where people have a close relationship with nearby bodies of water and most families own their own boats. Jin Dynasty, dumplings were officially designated as the Dragon Boat Festival food. Get to know the top 7 Dragon Boat Festivalcustoms in China andDuanwu Festivalactivities held in other countries, The most popular activity of the Dragon Boat Festival is racing dragon boats.This folk custom has been held for more than 2,000 years throughout southern China, and now it has become an international sport.. In recent years, however, Dragon Boat Festival has regained its traditional place as an important holiday in Mainland China. How is the Dragon Boat Festival celebrated around the world? Realgar wine or Xiong Huang wine is a Chinese alcoholic drink that is made from Chinese yellow wine dosed with powdered realgar, a yellow-orange arsenic sulfide mineral also known as "rice wine". 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. During World War II, Qu Yuan began to be treated in a nationalist way as "China's first patriotic poet". Their main Dragon Boat Festival celebrations are eating zongzi and driving away insects. The Dragon Boat Festival is an annual event that brings families, friends, and communities together to enjoy food, sport and entertainment. Dragon boat festival is a traditional festival celebrated by the Chinese. You can use festival quotes and poems to inspire others or brighten their day. Qu Yuan remains a popular figure in modern China. Every festival has it's own wonderful story, of which you can find out more about on our Taiwan holidays page. Dragon boat racing has a history of over 2,000 years and some scholars believe the practice most likely began as a way to worship the Dragon God. 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. If you live in Hong Kong or just stop over there for several days in June, you may go to Victory Harbor to enjoy Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival. China Highlights tailor-makes China tours to help travelers discover [citation needed] Calamus is believed to be able to remove evil spirits because of its sword-like shape and strong garlic smell. Dragon boat racing is the central activity of the festival and is often held in large bodies of water such as rivers or lakes. Use our directory to find a race near you. use of cookies. In these settings, instead of watching from the bank, villagers sometimes row their family boats out into the river so that they can get a closer look at the dragon boats during the race. September 21st 2021 - Mid Autumn Festival. In China, the Dragon Boat Festival is referred to as Duan Wu Jie. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Ana Ortega July 18, 20225:00AM. During the 1960s, when China was embroiled in the Cultural Revolution, campaigns against traditional culture and customs caused the popularity of traditional festivals, including the Dragon Boat Festival, to decrease dramatically. Is regarded as the Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: Dchng )! 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