Dragon Boat Festival--An Introduction--2011-5-29

Duanwu or the Dragon Boat Festival: An Introduction 端午節、龍舟節簡介:

Duanwu or the Dragon Boat Festival: An Introduction 端午節、龍舟節簡介 A talk for the Chinese Heritage Club Sun City Anthem, Las Vegas by Daniel S. P. Yang May 29, 2011

Different Names of the Festival:

Different Names of the Festival Duanwu jie 端午節 or the Duanwu Festival Longzhou jie 龍舟節 or the Dragon Boat Festival On the 5 th day of the 5 th month on the Chinese lunar calendar In 2011 it falls on June 6 th A national holiday in the PRC since 2008

Activities on this Festival:

Activities on this Festival Race dragon boats Eats the rice dumpling zongzi 粽子 Drinks realgar wine 雄黃酒 Wearing the “fragrant pouch” or the xiangbao 香包 on one’s person

Slide 7:

“Realgar” is an arsenic sulfide mineral called the “ruby arsenic” The xiangbao usually carries very strong “herb frangrances” These strong stuffs are believed to be able to expel poisonous insects and snakes which are abundant in the months of May and June Scolopendra subspinipes 蜈蚣

Slide 9:

CHC member Cindy Ni taught us how to make “fragrance pouch” on May 25 th .

Origin of the Festival:

Origin of the Festival Duanwu Festival was originated in ancient China Several theories on its origin The most popular being the suicide in 278 BCE of Qu Yuan 屈原 P oet and statesman of the kingdom of Chu 楚國 during the Warring States period 戰國時代 .

Slide 11:

Qu Yuan 屈原 c. 340 BCE – 278 BCE

Qu Yuan 屈原:

Qu Yuan 屈原 c. 340 BCE – 278 BCE A noted poet and statesman of the Kingdom of Chu 楚國 in the Warring States period 戰國時代 In high office, objected to the King’s alliance with the Kingdom of Qin 秦國 Banished, accused of treason, wandered around the country writing poems Author of Li Sao 《 離騷 》, a collection of his poems

Slide 13:

20 years later the Qin conquered Chu In despair Qu Yuan drowned himself in the River Miluo 汨羅江 On the 5 th day of the 5 th month Local people who admired him threw lumps of rice into the river to feed the fish, so that the fish wouldn’t feed on his body That was the origin of our eating the rice dumpling zongzi on the 5 th day of the 5 th month

Slide 14:

Local people were also said to paddle out on boats in the Miluo River Either to scare away the fish or to retrieve the poet’s body This is said to be the origin of the dragon boats racing

Common Activities on Duanwu Festival:

Common Activities on Duanwu Festival Eating the rice dumpling zongzi Dragon Boat racing Drinking realgar wine 雄黃酒 Carring “fragrance pouch” on person Hanging mugworts and calamus 艾草？

Slide 17:

Mugwort plant

Slide 18:

Calamus plant

Slide 19:

Hanging up the icons of Zhong Kui 鍾馗 A mythic guardian-angel figure in China His ability to catch ghosts

Slide 20:

"Shōki zu" (Shōki striding), by Okumura Masanobu in pillar print format, c. 1741–1751 鍾馗畫像

Slide 21:

Gong Kai , Zhong Kui Traveling (c. 1304), Freer Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. 鍾馗嫁妹圖

Slide 22:

Taking long walks Game of making an egg stand at noon All of these activities, together with the drinking of realgar wine, were regarded by the ancients as effective in preventing disease or evil and promoting health and well-being. In Taiwan , Duanwu was also celebrated as "Poets' Day," due to Qu Yuan's status as China's first poet of esteem.

The Legend of the White Snake:

The Legend of the White Snake Story for Beijing Opera and other regional Chinese dramas Will tell if time allows

Slide 24:

End of Lecture Thank you for your attention and endurance Will entertain questions if any