Today is Duanwu Jie, or the Dragon Boat Festival! Not only is this holiday one of the most widely celebrated traditional holidays in China, but it is also celebrated by many regions whose written language has ties to the Chinese characters. These regions include Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, the Ryukyu Islands, Korea, and Vietnam. It is such an important holiday that in September of 2009, UNESCO added Duanwu Jie to the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity – the first of China’s holidays to be included on the list.
So, what exactly is Duanwu Jie? The festival takes place on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar, lasting three days, and its purpose is to dispel bad luck and disease. The holiday is filled with a variety of fascinating activities. Let’s learn about them now!
Dragon Boat Races
The activity that Duanwu Jie is most known for is dragon boat races. Dragon boats are wooden boats that are carved or decorated into the shape of dragons. They are twenty to thirty meters long and require thirty competitors to row each boat. The races are thought to prevent misfortune and to encourage the rains needed for a prosperous crop season.
Drinking Realgar Wine
Another activity essential to Duanwu Jie is drinking realgar wine. Realgar is a yellow-orange mineral that was traditionally used as an antidote against venom. To create realgar wine, wine is fermented with rice and realgar inside. Given that typical rice wine is a gray color, realgar wine has an especially unique look because the realgar gives it a vibrant yellow-orange color. In addition to warding off sickness, realgar is thought to ward off poisonous insects due to its strong smell and to quicken a recovery from sickness, as the drink warms up the body.
Hanging Mugwort Leaves
The next custom that is common in Duanwu Jie is hanging up mugwort leaves above one’s doorway. Mugwort is an aromatic plant used to ward off mosquitoes and other insects, and it is also thought to alleviate sickness. When Chinese people hang mugwort leaves above their doorways, they believe it is driving away sickness and poisonous animals, such as snakes and mosquitoes.
Carrying Spice Bags
Another important aspect of Duanwu Jie is carrying spice bags. Spice bags are made by local craftspeople out of silk, fine satin, or cotton, and hold a mix of Chinese herbal medicines. Similarly to mugwort, spice bags have a strong smell, so they are believed to drive away sickness and poisonous animals.
Eating Zòng Zi
Another staple of Duanwu Jie is eating zòng zi. Zòng zi is a traditional Chinese rice dumpling that is made by wrapping sticky rice and fillings in bamboo leaves, forming a pyramid shape. Traditionally, Northern Chinese people prefer sweet fillings like red bean paste and Southern Chinese people prefer savory fillings like pork and seafood. Zòng zi is a historically rich aspect of Duanwu Jie, the subject of stories told generation after generation. Now, we will discuss the history of Duanwu Jie.
Historical Origins
According to research by folklorists, the roots of Duanwu Jie can be traced deep into the past to the Wu and Yue people, who lived in what is now the Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. In Ancient China, when the Zhou dynasty collapsed, a small number of independent states emerged. Wu and Yue were two such states. The citizens of these states had a custom of worshiping dragon totems, as dragons symbolized great power, good luck, and strength. Over time, this custom spread to the other states as well.
Then, Duanwu Jie expanded beyond a dragon worship ceremony into a commemoration for a deeply passionate government official. His name was Qu Yuan and he worked for the state of Chu. His patriotism for his state was so deep that it reflected in his personal life as well. He loved to write poetry and often his poems reflected his love for his country.
Unfortunately, someone in Chu framed him and he was forced to be exiled from the state. This was incredibly heartbreaking for him as he was no longer able to serve his country — the central purpose of his life for so long. Later, the state of Chu became conquered by another state, which propelled his agony to an undurable level.
Sadly, he committed suicide by throwing himself into the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar. The citizens of Chu that remained after the attacks were so touched by the depth of his devotion that they attempted to protect Qu Yuan in his last moments. As they believed that dragons lived in the river, they filled bamboo containers with glutinous rice and threw them into the water, hoping that the dragons would eat the rice instead of Qu Yuan’s body. This event evolved into the custom of eating zòng zi during Duanwu Jie.
The Festival Today
Today, the celebration of Duanwu Jie is still evolving. Not all people head to the river shore to watch the dragon boat races; many stay at home and watch the live broadcast of the races on television. Not all families sit down together to wrap and eat zòng zi; many buy zòng zi already wrapped and cooked from stores to eat. Additionally, the separation between Northern and Southern zòng zi flavors is no longer present, with many Northern Chinese people enjoying meat-filled zòng zi during the holiday.
Ultimately, the festival today is a blend of ancient traditions commemorating Qu Yuan, honoring dragons, and praying for safety from harm. Although modern-day Chinese citizens vary in their beliefs surrounding the holiday’s ability to ward off poison and evil, all of those who celebrate do so in an effort to preserve tradition and culture.
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