What is Dragon Boat Festival and Why is It Celebrated?

What is Dragon Boat Festival and why is it celebrated? The Dragon Boat Festival is also called Duanwu Festival. It is a traditional holiday that is celebrated in China and other countries with large ethnic Chinese populations. The festival is held on the fifth day of the fifth month in the Chinese lunar calendar, which usually falls in June in the Gregorian calendar.t is an important cultural and historical festival that has been celebrated for over 2000 years. In 2023,Dragon Boat Festival will celebrated on Jun.22nd, Thursday.

1.The Origin of the Dragon Boat Festival

The origin of the Dragon Boat Festival can be traced back to the story of Qu Yuan, a poet and statesman who lived during the Warring States period in ancient China. Qu Yuan was known for his opposition to the growing power of the Qin kingdom, and when the Qin eventually conquered his home state of Chu, he drowned himself in the Miluo River in 278 BCE as a gesture of protest.

 

The local people admired Qu Yuan and were saddened by his death. They took to their boats to search for his body in the river, and when they couldn’t find him, they threw rice dumplings (zongzi) into the water as a sacrifice to his spirit, in the hope that he would not go hungry in the afterlife. They also beat drums and lifted their paddles in the air to scare away the fish and other creatures in the water, so that they would not eat Qu Yuan’s body.

 2.How to Celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival

Today, the Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated by eating zongzi, racing dragon boats, and performing dragon and lion dances. The dragon boat races involve teams of paddlers in long narrow boats that are decorated to look like dragons, with a drummer at the front of the boat to set the pace and a steerer at the back to guide it. The races are held on rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water.

Zongzi is a special treat that is eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival. It is made from glutinous rice stuffed with various fillings, such as pork, Chinese sausage, or red bean paste. The rice is wrapped in bamboo leaves and boiled until it is cooked.

The Dragon Boat Festival is a time for people to gather with their families and friends, to honor the memory of Qu Yuan, and to celebrate the start of summer. It is a lively and colorful festival that is enjoyed by people of all ages. Now we all know What is Dragon Boat Festival and why is it celebrated?Welcome to China and enjoy our festival next time. Shared from WODWIN, the leading China Supplier of Video Conference Cameras.