Ptebiz.com

Summary: Duanwu Festival- 端午节.it is named after the traditional activities for the holiday, and is observed in many other East Asian nations as well.

Patriotic Poet--- Qu Yuan

Also called the Dragon Boat Festival, it is named after the traditional activities for the holiday, and is observed in many other East Asian nations as well.

People usually eat zongzi, drink wine and race dragon boats.

Traditionally, the day commemorated the anniversary of the death of patriotic poet Qu Yuan, a minister during the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.). Out of despair, he committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River in central Hunan Province after his nation was conquered.

Local people felt so grieved that they threw wrapped rice balls into the river nearly immediately to feed the fish so that his body would not be eaten by them.

Locals were said to use reed leaves grown by the river as covers to wrap the glutinous rice balls.

Boats were also paddled out to scare the fish away so that Qu's body could be retrieved. This was believed to be the origin of dragon boat racing.

Folklorist Ji Lianhai said there were other meanings behind the festival as well. Traditionally, Chinese considered themselves as offspring of dragons, and the festival was created as a means of communication with Chinese ancestor, such as the dragon boat and zongzi presented to the imaginary animal.

As the festival ushered in a hot summer, people invented many ways to prevent diseases, such as drinking realgar wine. "The day should also be made as an occasion to spread knowledge of the traditional Chinese medicine," Ji added.

At present, he said, the nation attached much importance to the value of patriotism embodied in poet Qu and called for carrying on his spirit of safeguarding national interests when the country faces disaster. Ji suggested that communities should hold more activities for people to be aware of the holiday and let the one-day off become more meaningful.