The fifth day of the fifth lunar month is a festival in the traditional Chinese calendar—the Dragon Boat Festival.
This festival is a time when we wrap zongzi (glutinous rice dumplings). On this day every year, many families make zongzi, and numerous varieties with different flavors and styles emerge during this fragrant season.
Regarding the origins of the Dragon Boat Festival, there have always been differing accounts. Some people regard it as a day to commemorate Qu Yuan, the patriotic poet who drowned himself in the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Others say that in modern times, this festival has become a day for disinfection and warding off epidemics.
According to historical records and customs passed down through generations, the fifth lunar month has traditionally been viewed as the "toxic month" or "evil month," and the fifth day of this month is considered the worst of the nine toxic days. As such, many special customs developed to expel evil spirits, purify the body, and prevent illness—such as hanging calamus and wormwood, drinking realgar wine, and offering sacrifices to the Five Plague Deities.
Over time, the meaning of the Dragon Boat Festival gradually shifted. In honoring the patriotism and noble character of Qu Yuan, people began to forget the festival’s original significance. Customs such as dragon boat racing and making zongzi—originally not necessarily linked to Qu Yuan—became associated with him.
Today, most people only remember that the Dragon Boat Festival is connected to Qu Yuan. However, many younger generations are no longer very familiar with the story of Qu Yuan. To them, it's simply a holiday for eating zongzi—and nothing more.
As for dragon boat racing during the festival, such competitions are now held all year round, not just at Dragon Boat Festival. The festival’s meaning has undergone a significant transformation—from warding off disease and evil spirits to commemorating Qu Yuan.
The original meaning of this festival has, over the years, been gradually "eroded" by social changes.
In the future, this festival may evolve further into a celebration of Chinese culinary culture. From traditional jiaoshu (an early form of zongzi) to today’s diverse and colorful varieties of zongzi, many regions now incorporate their local food specialties into the dumplings.
In fact, the main tradition of the Dragon Boat Festival is dragon boat racing. Written records of dragon boat races date back to the 5th century AD, first appearing in Wu Jun’s *Xu Qi Xie Ji* (Continuation of the Record of Strange Things) from the Liang Dynasty. Later, numerous other texts also contain references to dragon boat racing.
Among the thousands of local gazetteers still preserved across China, 227 specifically mention dragon boat racing.
Legends about dragon boat racing include “people racing together in boats to rescue Qu Yuan” and “shouting and drumming to scare away dragons.” These stories all evoke memories of Qu Yuan.
Every year on the Dragon Boat Festival, dragon boat races continue to be held throughout China, from north to south, as well as in overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia, promoting and preserving this cherished tradition.
**The Legend of the Dragon Boat Festival**
During the Warring States period, Chu and Qin vied for supremacy. The poet Qu Yuan was highly valued by the King of Chu. However, his political proposals were opposed by conservative officials led by Minister Shangguan Jinshang, who repeatedly slandered Qu Yuan before King Huai of Chu. Gradually, the king distanced himself from Qu Yuan. Deeply distressed by his unfulfilled ambitions, Qu Yuan expressed his unbearable sorrow and indignation through immortal poetic works such as *Li Sao* ("Encountering Sorrow") and *Tian Wen* ("Heavenly Questions").
In 229 BC, Qin captured eight cities of Chu and then sent envoys inviting King Huai to Qin to negotiate peace. Qu Yuan saw through the Qin king’s plot and risked his life to plead with the king against going. But King Huai refused to listen and instead exiled Qu Yuan from the capital city of Ying. True to the arrangement, King Huai traveled to Qin, but upon arrival he was immediately imprisoned. Overcome with regret and depression, he fell ill and died in exile three years later.
Shortly after King Qingxiang ascended the throne, Qin launched another attack on Chu. King Qingxiang fled the capital in panic, and Qin troops seized Ying. While in exile, Qu Yuan received successive news of the king’s death and the fall of the capital. Utterly heartbroken and hopeless, he let out a long sigh toward the sky and threw himself into the rushing waters of the Miluo River.
When fishermen on the river and villagers on the shore heard that Minister Qu Yuan had drowned himself, they rushed to the river, desperately trying to retrieve his body. They brought zongzi and eggs and threw them into the water; some physicians even poured realgar wine into the river, hoping to stupefy the dragons and aquatic creatures so that Qu Yuan’s body would not be harmed.
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