These special pouches are filled with aromatic herbs and spices such as cloves, cinnamon, star anise, and more. Thu to Fri. The Taiwanese also sometimes conflate the spring practice of egg-balancing with Duanwu. Many older Chinese people still make traditional holiday foods by hand. He has been training for today all year. Read my interview with Hans Wu, race director of the San Francisco International Dragon Boat Festival, to know what to expect at the races. Races typically start at sunrise and can last for several hours, with spectators cheering on their favorite teams. The wine is traditionally served in a bowl-shaped cup made from bamboo or wood. News and Press. With thriving Chinese communities, Canada's Toronto and Vancouver are famous for their annual dragon boat festivals. Down in Tropical Park of Miami, there's going to be a big Asian celebration for the whole family to check out. Despite the modern popularity of the Qu Yuan origin theory, in the former territory of the Kingdom of Wu, the festival commemorated Wu Zixu (died 484 BC), the Premier of Wu. We are the LARGEST Dragon Boat Festival in the USA! Another popular activity during the festival is dragon boat racing, with teams competing for prizes and honor. Read More . During the Dragon Boat Festival, Vietnamese people prepare glutinous rice with a blend of spices to thank their ancestors and pray fora good harvest.They eat this glutinous rice and drink realgar wine to help prevent plagues. Dragon Boat Festival 2022 is June 3, 2022. Festivals, Chinese The origin of the festival is said to be when locals paddled out on boats to scare the fish away and retrieve Qu Yuan's body (the patriotic poet who drowned himself in the Miluo River when the Chu State fell in 278 BC).See the story behind the Dragon Boat Festival. Therefore, during the Dragon Boat Festival, people try to avoid this bad luck. Dragon Boat . Dragon boating is an accessible and fun team sport open to all ages and skill levels, all supported by a welcoming community. Here is a collection of easy activities, recipes and crafts with step-by-step directions to help your family celebrate an ancient Chinese holiday thats become a modern international phenomenon. The illustrations are gorgeous and realistic. The Dragon Boat Festival 2023 falls on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month in Chinese calendar, June 22, 2023, know the festival foods, history and celebration activities . The Dragon Boat Festival, otherwise known as the Duanwu or Tuen Ng Festival, is a traditional Chinese holiday whose origins date back to the Warring States era (475 - 221 BC). This festival first came about during the Han Dynasty. While the festival is still commonly celebrated by the Chinese today, it has also spread to other countries, like Singapore and Vietnam. The Dragon Boat Festival is one of the four main festivals celebrated by the Chinese. The cooked zongzi is called "yizhi zong".[22]. It is an importanttradition for the Chinese to eat zongzi(traditional Chinese sticky rice dumplings, eachwrapped in bamboo leaves)during the Dragon Boat Festival. People eat zongzi, race dragon boats, and exchange greetings such as Wishing you good health. Giving small gifts such as jewelry, sweets, or flowers is also customary as tokens of appreciation. Alternatively, making a toy dragon boat for the pool or bathtub is a fun substitute, if youre unable to make it out to the races. This traditional holiday, also called the Double Fifth festival, is celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th month of the Chinese lunar calendar (called or nngl in Chinese). What is the history of the Dragon Boat Festival? During the festival, people often wear these pouches around their necks or hang them from their clothing. /VCG. The coalition brings together community leaders from civil rights and social justicegroups, multicultural chambers, interfaith, educators, legislators, and lawmakers to collaborate on hate crimes and bullyingby maintaining open lines of communications, sharing resources, in addition to outreach and education to communities. Each year, we encourage our next generation to express their thoughts and ideas in their own creative writing. Eventually, his despair in the face of the political situation drove him to commit suicide by drowning himself in Hunan Provinces Miluo River. An immersive weekend of fun is back in South Florida for the 32nd year in a row at . Why Is Dragon Boat Festival So Important? In 2023, Dragon Boat Festival falls on June 22 (Thursday). A big thank you to you, Wes and to all of the people who have commented above! Children wear a lucky charm weaved out ofcolorful silk threads(like activity 7 above). October 10th 2021 & October 11th 2021 - National Day. Thank you so much for sharing your time, effort, and knowledge. 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A traditional Chinese festival celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month it is properly called Tuen Ng Festival (/) Eat rice dumplings (), see dragon boat racing and swim in the sea to celebrate the day. Here is a collection of easy activities, recipes and crafts with step-by-step directions to help your family celebrate an ancient Chinese holiday that's become a modern international phenomenon. The English language name for the holiday is Dragon Boat Festival, used as the official English translation of the holiday by the People's Republic of China. Zhngyu. Chinese New Year, the Festival Of Lanterns, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Ghost Festival, and the Mid-Autumn Festivalare celebrated also as secular holidays. The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu Festival and the Double Fifth Festival, is a folk festival that originates in China. How People Celebrate Dragon Boat Festival in China. People usually gather with their families and friends to celebrate the festival while wearing traditional Chinese clothes such as red shirts and skirts. Learning about these traditional festivals is a fun and interesting way to enrich your understanding of Chinese culture. During races, the boats are fitted out with a colorful dragon head and tail. 15 Chinese Festivals To Celebrate This Year. stories, insider information, and even create unexpected highlights! traditional Chinese holiday whose origins. Now about this Feast. Every festival has it's own wonderful story, of which you can find out more about on our Taiwan holidays page. Duan translates to start while wu symbolizes noon, but also identifies the fifth month of the traditional Chinese calendar (between June 6 July 6), which coincides with the summer solstice. Wu Zixu, seeing the dangerous plot of Goujian, warned Fuchai, who became angry at this remark. Because of the close relationships between audience members and participants, the atmosphere during these local races can be particularly exuberant. How do people celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival? Activities, Lunar New Year Festival Starts today at Disney's California Adventure. The focus of most Dragon Boat Festival celebrations involves eating zhongzi, drinking realgar wine, and racing dragon boats. [14] Big ceremonies and performances developed from these practices in many areas, making the Dragon Boat Festival a day for getting rid of disease and bad luck. The Boat Festival is a traditional festival that celebrates the life of Qu Yuan, an ancient Chinese poet. There are several legends about its origin. U.S., Canada and Germany: Dragon boat racing enjoys great popularity, More than a showcase of athleticism and teamwork, dragon boat racing has a legacy that's over 2,500 years old. Another name for it is the Duanwu Festival. Dragon boat racing is increasingly popular in cities around the world. The sun, like the Chinese dragon, traditionally represents masculine energy, whereas the moon, like the phoenix, traditionally represents feminine energy. The festival commemorates the end of the Warring States period in 476 BC when Qu Yuan led the people of Chu State in protesting the oppressive rule of the powerful Kingiquan. Do you Really happy to hear that, Jenny. Volunteers. The Dragon Boat Race has become an important sporting event in Germany. Also known as the Tuen Ng Festival, most people immediately associate the celebration with scrumptious rice dumplings and the thousands of paddlers . Qu Yuan (340278 BC) was a devoted poet and banished public servant during the Warring States Period of old China. The food may have originally represented an offering to the dragon king, while dragon boat racing naturally reflects a reverence for the dragon and the active yang energy associated with it. Read More , Dragon boat racing has become an international sports phenomenon in the last 40 years. Tours, Yangtze One such tradition that has survived to this day and is still incorporated into modern Dragon Boat Festival celebrations is the custom of hanging mugwort and calamus branches on ones door to ward off evil spirits. 2023/2024, Top 10 Yue Lan or Hungry Ghost Festival - August 30, 2023. The Colorado Dragon Boat Festival at Sloan's Lake Park has become a wildly popular cultural bonanza in Denver. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 20 October 2016 View The renowned Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Tuen Ng, falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Thanks so much for your kind words. Dragon boats are long and thin. Festival of Five Poisonous Insects (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: Dchng ji). Youll also want to select a few childrens books to help introduce young readers to the holiday. Office of the Chief Executive. Legend has it that when they realized he was attempting to drown himself, the citizenry rushed in boats to the middle of the river in an attempt to save him or at least retrieve his body. In commemoration of Qu Yuan, people hold dragon boat races yearly on the day of his death according to the legend. This was merged with the tradition of visiting friends and family on boats. Boston's annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival returns for an in-person celebration in 2022, complete with racing on the Charles, Asian street food, activities for . Dragon Boat Festival, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, July 23, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, July 24, Sloan's Lake Park, 1700 Sheridan Boulevard. Zongzi appeared before the Spring and Autumn Period and was originally used to worship ancestors and gods; in the Jin Dynasty, Zongzi became a festive food for the Dragon Boat Festival. To commemorate Qu Yuan, people beat drums and paddle out in boats on the river as they once did to keep fish and evil spirits away from their bodies every fifth day of the fifth lunar month. During the festival, visitors can take part in most activities, including watching dragon boat racing matches, tasting traditional festival food, etc.West Lake in Hangzhou. These dumplings are made with sticky rice, meat, and vegetables and can be steamed or boiled. For example, people may paste pictures of the five poisonous creatures on the wall and stick needles in them. 2023. But why is the dragon boat festival so important? Dragon Boat Legend. Additionally, it is a chance for everyone to celebrate together and make memories that will last forever. China Highlights uses cookies to give you the best possible service. The origin of this festival dates many centuries back and is based on activities in remembrance of a great Chinese poet, Qu Yuan. Another theory, advanced by Wen Yiduo, is that the Dragon Boat Festival originated from dragon worship. [2] It is also referred to in some English sources as Double Fifth Festival which alludes to the date as in the original Chinese name. Over the years, dragon boat racing has developed into a sport with a variety of rules and regulations. Parents would paint a Chinese character (wang, literally meaning king)using realgar wine. [citation needed], Three of the most widespread activities conducted during the Dragon Boat Festival are eating (and preparing) zongzi, drinking realgar wine, and racing dragon boats.[21]. Northern regions in China prefer sweet or dessert-styled zongzi, with bean paste, jujube, and nuts as fillings. It falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month . Realgar wine or Xiong Huang wine is a Chinese alcoholic drink that is made from Chinese yellow wine dosed with powdered realgar, a yellow-orange arsenic sulfide mineral also known as "rice wine". Other common activities include hanging up icons of Zhong Kui (a mythic guardian figure), hanging mugwort and calamus, taking long walks, and wearing perfumed medicine bags. The Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu Festival, Dunw Ji, Double Fifth, Tuen Ng Jit) is a traditional holiday that commemorates the life and death of the famous Chinese scholar Qu Yuan (Chu Yuan). It is also called the Dragon Boat Feast. It's possible that the practice of dragon boat racing started out as a way to worship an ancient dragon god. This festival is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month in the Lunar Calendar. Zongzi (traditional Chinese rice dumpling). Besides, dragon boat races have become popular cultural events in the USA. After being slandered by another official, however, he was sent into exile. Stay up to date with all the awesome things! For many people, no visit to the island would be complete without seeing this event. You can use craft projects at home as a way to prepare for the festivals excitement. Equivalent and related official festivals include the Korean Dano, Japanese Children's Day, and Vietnamese Tt oan Ng. Manage Settings It takes place every year between May 27 and June 25 on the 5th day of the 5th month of the lunar calendar. Celebrate Ancient Asian Traditions at Dragon Boat Festivals Around the U.S. 2021 Colorado Dragon Boat Festival Canceled, Dragon Boat Regatta Comes to Riverdale Regional Park. The Story Behind Denver's Annual Dragon Boat Festival. Their main Dragon Boat Festival celebrations are eating zongzi and driving away insects. After five days, she and her father were both found dead in the river from drowning. There is also a drummer who sits at the bow of the boat facing the paddlers. The third way to celebrate the Dragon boat festival is to hang Chinese mugwort and calamus. In line with this explanation, racing dragon boats mimics the actions of the villagers who rowed out into the river to try to save their beloved poet. . People may also make sachets filled with plants and hang them around their necks for added protection. Realgar wine or xionghuangwine is a Chinese alcoholic drink that is made from Chinese yellow wine dosed with powdered realgar. The English language name for the holiday is Dragon Boat Festival,[1] used as the official English translation of the holiday by the People's Republic of China. Qu Yuan spent his exile in a productive manner, writing many works of poetry, but his mind was troubled. In some regions of China, on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, parents braid silk threads of five colors and put them on their children's wrists. In China, the Dragon Boat Festival is referred to as Duan Wu Jie. There are also various zongzion sale in supermarkets. It originated traditionally to remember the patriot poet Qu Yuan ( ( c. 340-278 BC)), who drowned himself in the Milou River more than 2000 years ago. Realgar is a traditional Chinese medicine. Many of these informal races are held in communities where people have a close relationship with nearby bodies of water and most families own their own boats. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. As the month of noon is regarded as the middle point of summer, Duanwu Jie is interpreted as the commencement of mid-summer festivities.. In South Korea, GangneungDanojeFestival is another version of the Dragon Boat Festival. It is a month-long festival and a variety of folk activities and events are held, such as brewing sacred liquor, sacrificing to their ancestors, making Dano(Duanwu) fans, swingingon swings, performing traditional mask dances, and washing hair in sweet flag water. 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