The origin of the Loong Boat Festival can be traced back more than 2000 years ago to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period in China. At that time, there was a patriotic poet named Qu Yuan in the State of Chu. In 278 BC, the state of Chu was conquered by the state of Qin, and Qu Yuan was filled with grief and anger. He threw himself into the Miluo River on May 5th and died.
To commemorate Qu Yuan, local people have rowed boats to find his body in the river, and put Zongzi into the river to prevent fish and shrimp from eating his body. Later, people commemorate Qu Yuan in this way every year, which is the origin of Loong Boat Festival.
The Loong Boat Festival, also known as the Loong Boat Festival, the May Festival and the Zongzi Festival, is an important traditional festival of the Chinese nation. It is not only a festival commemorating Qu Yuan, but also a festival for warding off evil and praying for good luck.
The customs of Loong Boat Festival are rich and colorful, mainly including:
Eating Zongzi: Zongzi is a traditional food of the Loong Boat Festival, which is wrapped with glutinous rice, stuffing and zongzi leaves. The shape, size and stuffing of Zongzi are different, but they all express people’s yearning for a better life.
Loong Boat Rowing: Loong Boat Race is one of the most distinctive activities of the Loong Boat Festival. The Loong Boat is dozens of meters long, shaped like a dragon, and dozens of crew members work together to paddle, which is very spectacular.
Wormwood and calamus hanging: wormwood and calamus are the traditional anti evil plants on the Loong Boat Festival. People will hang wormwood and calamus on their doors to ward off evil spirits and avoid plague.
Drinking realgar wine: realgar wine is a traditional drink of the Loong Boat Festival, made of realgar, Baijiu, glutinous rice, etc. People believe that realgar wine can expel insects, detoxify, and prevent diseases.
The Loong Boat Festival is the cultural treasure of the Chinese nation. It carries rich historical and cultural connotations, and embodies the patriotism, Qu Yuan spirit and the spirit of unity of the Chinese nation.
