Learn Chinese in China or on Zoom and gain fluency in Chinese! By Natalie Gale. 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. The Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated on the fifth lunar month fifth day. There are several legends about its origin. Other people celebrate the festival by participating in cultural activities, spending time with family and friends, or by watching the races from shore. 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. Read my interview with Hans Wu, race director of the San Francisco International Dragon Boat Festival, to know what to expect at the races. The reason why the Chinese eat zongziat the festival has many explanations. 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. Thanks to attempts by the Chinese government to promote traditional Chinese culture, the Dragon Boat Festival reemerged as an official public holiday in 2008. Unfortunately, there aren't that many resources online Hi there, Thank you for this family focused information. Northern regions in China prefer sweet or dessert-styled zongzi, with bean paste, jujube, and nuts as fillings. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. How is the Dragon Boat Festival celebrated around the world? Although Wu Zixu is commemorated in southeast Jiangsu and Qu Yuan elsewhere in China, much of Northeastern Zhejiang including the cities of Shaoxing, Ningbo and Zhoushan celebrates the memory of the young girl Cao E (; AD 130144) instead. The Dragon Boat Festival 2023 falls on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month in Chinese calendar, June 22, 2023, know the festival foods, history and celebration activities . The 2022 Dragon Boat Festival celebration is set to take over the shores and waters of Lake Burley Griffin this Saturday (04 June). The story of Qu Yuans suicide is often used to explain the dragon boat racing tradition. Many Chinese families make their own, and pre-made versions also suddenly become available at most corner convenience stores. People in certain regions of China believed that during this month, the dreaded five poisonous animals (, wd), started to come out of their winter hiding places. A Japanese team was invited to compete alongside nine local teams kickstarting modern-day dragon boat competitions . It is the Dragon Boat Festival. Hungry Ghost Festival in China History, Tradition, Celebration, & More. These plants are believed to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck in the coming year. Thank you so much for sharing your time, effort, and knowledge. 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. The leaves also give a special aroma and flavor to the sticky rice and fillings. CELEBRATION. Participating in or attending dragon boat races, A Brief Guide to the Chinese New Year ( Chnji). In this beautifully illustrated book, children aged 2 to 6 will follow Ying and Han as their family prepares for and celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival. The summer solstice is considered the annual peak of male energy while the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, represents the annual peak of feminine energy. Made from glutinous rice flour and water, they are boiled together until a dough forms. Dragon Boat Festival has been celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Lunar calendar for over 2,000 years. The Dragon Boat Festival (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ) is a traditional Chinese holiday which occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar, which corresponds to late May or June in the Gregorian calendar. [citation needed] Calamus is believed to be able to remove evil spirits because of its sword-like shape and strong garlic smell. Most zongzi are still made in using a traditional bamboo wrapper. OCA Sacramento in partnership with MayorDarrell Steinberg , (formerly State Senate President pro Tem)founded the Sacramento Regional Coalition for Tolerance in November 2010. News and Press. Dragon Boat Festival, also called Duanwu Jie (, together with Spring Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival, is one of the most important festivals in China. We base in Guilin, with over 20 years of different styles of travel and tour service experience. A big thank you to you, Wes and to all of the people who have commented above! Their main Dragon Boat Festival celebrations are eating zongzi and driving away insects. It is summertime when the Dragon Boat Festival comes. Support is drawn from two key traditions of the festival: the tradition of dragon boat racing and zongzi. The wine is traditionally served in a bowl-shaped cup made from bamboo or wood. In China, the Dragon Boat Festival is referred to as Duan Wu Jie. and Thu to Fri. the use of cookies. 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 Behind Denver's Annual Dragon Boat Festival. At Duanwu Festival, people woulddrink realgar wine to drive evil things away and to promote a healthy life. All of these activities, together with the drinking of realgar wine or water, were regarded by the ancients and some today as effective in preventing disease or evil while promoting health and well-being. The Dragon boat festival is celebrated differently in different parts of the world. Out of disappointment in the Chu monarch, he drowned himself in the Miluo River. The third way to celebrate the Dragon boat festival is to hang Chinese mugwort and calamus. In some regions of China, parents braid silk threads of 5 colors and put them on their children's wrists, on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival. This is said to have been the origin of dragon boat races. Races have even been held in big cities such as New York and Chicago. Festivals, Chinese This traditional holiday, also called the Double Fifth festival, is celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th month of the Chinese lunar calendar (called or nngl in Chinese). 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. 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. North Korea Holidays and Festivals. Read about my experience joining the Oakland Renegades to see if its for you. Knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and attentive your personal local guides will '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. Boat race begins at 8 a.m. both days find out more here.KEEP WESTWORD FREEWestword. Experience local culture by practicing it. Click to know how to greetpeopleduringDragon Boat Festival, and why. They are believed to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck to those who wear them. Jie means festival. One such tradition that has survived to this day and is still incorporated into modern Dragon Boat Festival celebrations is the custom of hanging mugwort and calamus branches on ones door to ward off evil spirits. 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. looks like the four stripeson a tigers forehead. Chinese Dragon Boat Festival falls on the 5th day of the 5th month on the Chinese lunar calendar. As discussed above, legend has it that people eat zngzi on the Dragon Boat Festival as a way to remember the poet Qu Yuan. Try new and will be within 24 hours. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. The Dragon Boat Festival is referred to as Duanwu Jie in Mandarin Chinese. Read on to discover the origins of the Dragon Boat Festival and learn more about the customs associated with this traditional celebration. The program includes scholarship and essay writing contestawards to children and youth. China Highlights uses cookies to give you the best possible service. Year. An immersive weekend of fun is back in South Florida for the 32nd year in a row at . ~Wes, Your email address will not be published. The reason why the Chinese eat zongzi on this special day has many statements. /Screenshot via Dragon Boat Innovate. In Chinese culture, the tiger represents the masculine principle in nature and is the king of all the animals.. At night they may light fireworks or fly colorful kites, which symbolize good luck for them in the coming year. Twenty-eight years later, Qin captured Ying, the Chu capital. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Traditionally, the fifth lunar month was considered to be an unlucky time. From then on, dragon boat races were held every year on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month to commemorate Qu's death. Most U.S. cities host Dragon Boat Festival celebrations featuring brightly decorated boats powered by teams of paddlers and manic drumming. The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu Festival and the Double Fifth Festival, is a folk festival that originates in China. The Realgar wine is an important part of the festival, as it is believed that drinking it will bring good luck and ward off evil spirits. /VCG. 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. 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. China Travel is one of Chinas leading touring specialists. Numerous six-member teams will compete in a series of physical tasks and mental challenges in the virtual competition, which is set to be launched on Saturday, June 27. Tours, Family Dragon Boat Festival is just one of many fascinating Chinese holidays with roots stretching back into the distant past. Of the various fiestas and celebrations held on the island, the Boracay Dragon Boat Festival ranks as one of the best and most watched. Fortunately, Ive found five that do a good job of introducing the holiday, as well as the sport of dragon boat racing. It is celebrated to commemorate Qu Yuan, a famous ancient Chinese scholar who drown himself in a river. DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL. In despair, Qu Yuan committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River. Please comment below if there are additional resources you would like to see added to the site! Every year the Foshan City of the Guangdong Province will hold different kinds of activities to celebrate Dragon Boat Festival in different districts. The fifth lunar month is considered an unlucky month. This item is available in full to subscribers. In commemoration of Qu Yuan, people hold dragon boat races yearly on the day of his death according to the legend. As the word "calamus" and the phrase meaning "advocate strength" are homophones in the Japanese language, the festival was widely regarded as a festival for boys and celebrated as Boy's Day in Japan. We can help you plan your itinerary, book your accommodation, and even provide local tips and advice. The holiday is celebrated outdoors during the summer, features exciting dragon boat races and involves themes that are easily accessible for children. In 2009, UNESCO designated the dragon boat festival a "Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.". Despite most of the races for this year's festival being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, paddlers can still compete in cyberspace via the Virtual Dragon Boat Challenge 2020, a charity event organized by Dragon Boat Innovate. Request a custom itinerary today and get one step closer to your personalized trip. The last day of the Spring Festival is a special celebration called the Lantern Festival. In 2023, Dragon Boat Festival falls on June 22 (Thursday). At the time, it was common for Chinese literati to work in government, and Qu Yuan was no different. knowledge Some people also participate in other activities like dragon boat drumming, which is believed to bring good luck to a teams performance. Children and families often look forward to the celebration for its games, activities, and food. Moon Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival - September 29, 2023. We're a passionate team of one hundred avid travelers who love to share our The most common length for a race, however, is 500 meters (1,640 feet). Children wear a lucky charm weaved out ofcolorful silk threads(like activity 7 above). You can use craft projects at home as a way to prepare for the festivals excitement. 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. Besides traditional dragon dancing and the large competition of dragon boat racing on Lake Guipan, there aremore interactive activities to help to celebrate the festival. See how this centuries-old tradition is kept alive today. More than a showcase of athleticism and teamwork, dragon boat racing has a legacy that's over 2,500 years old and now has a massive international following with many associations and clubs. This Friday is the annual Dragon Boat Festival. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact. Knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and attentive your personal local guides will share interesting SPORTS In Queens, an Annual Dragon Boat Festival Brings Cultures Together. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. The Dragon Boat Festival is one of the four main festivals celebrated by the Chinese. For the general Chinese community, the festival is like any other holiday, where people gather and celebrate with food and drinks. Dragon Boat Legend. Follow along with this tutorial and learn to make a classic rice dumpling filled with pork, peanuts, sausage and mung beans. HT: Photos by Worldwide Insure, Museums of Ohio and the Oakland Renegades Facebook page. Popular in Southern China, the Dragon Boat Festival is an international event drawing a score of locals and tourists alike. Use our directory to find a race near you. Beijing ICP prepared NO.16065310-3. Dragon boat festival is an important Chinese traditional holiday. 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