端午節背後的文化和歷史

The Culture and History behind Duanwu Festival

The Dragon Boat Festival commemorates the death of Qu Yuan, a poet who lived in the Warring States Period from 475 to 221 BC.

He committed suicide by flinging himself into the Miluo River in Hunan Province after his home-kingdom fell into enemy hands.

The legend holds that people in boats raced to the site where he drowned and threw in Zongzi or wrapped rice dumplings, so fish wouldnt feed on Qus body.

Since then, on the fifth day of the fifth month on the lunar calendar, China celebrates the Dragon Boat Festival.

People hold boat races and prepare Zongzi in memory of Qus righteousness and his beautiful poems.

However, because of the enormous landscape of China, there is a lot of diversity when it comes to Zongzi.

Ma Jianying is the deputy director of Institute of Catering Culture at Yangzhou University.

"The fillings people put in Zongzi in southern China are more diversified than the Zongzi in the north. For instance, ham, salted meat and salted duck egg yolk. The stronger flavor of Zongzi in southern China has a lot to do with the local dinning culture. The Jiaxing Zongzi, as an example, is famous for producing ham."

And Feng Jianhua, a cultural expert in Beijing, echoes Zongzi in the north also has its own geographical culture.

"The Zongzi in the north is different. There is no meat in our Zongzi. Aside from bean and Chinese dates, it can also be made with yellow rice and bean sauce. The flavor is basically sweet and light. But in the south, Zongzi is usually made with stronger flavors."

Ma Jianying also cautions that while Zongzi is part of a fun, holiday celebration, it should also be eaten in moderation.

"Glutinous rice takes a long time to digest. Zongzi in the south is mixed up with food that have high calories. So its not recommended you eat a lot of Zongzi, though it IS delicious. Its better if you cut it into small pieces and slow down when eating. Dont eat more than you need."

The fifth lunar month is also considered a "poisonous" month in the Chinese farmers almanac.

This is because insects and pests are active during this time of year.

Its also a high season for people to catch infectious diseases.

As such, in addition to Zongzi, to commemorate the Dragon Boat Festival, children normally wear scented sachets, which is meant to ward off evil. A scented sachet is an ornament worn on the front of the dress containing various aromatic herbs.

Tradition also has it that you should put mugwort leaves and calamus on the doors or windows to repel insects, flies, fleas and moths from your house to stave-off epidemics.

For CRI, Im Li Dong.