The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu Festival, has a rich history and several legends. Here is the English translation of the name's origin and the tales associated with it:
**Name Origin:**
The Dragon Boat Festival gets its name from the dragon boats used in the races held during the festival. The word "Dragon Boat" in Chinese is "龙舟" (lóng zhōu), which translates to "dragon boat" in English. The festival is believed to honor the poet and statesman Qu Yuan, and the dragon boat races are thought to have been invented to commiserate with his demise in the river.
**Legends:**
1. **Qu Yuan Legend:** The most popular and well-known legend involves Qu Yuan, a famous poet and statesman from the Warring States period (475-221 BC). Qu Yuan was a loyal advisor to the king of the state of Chu. When the king was overthrown by the state of Qin, Qu Yuan was exiled. He was deeply distressed and drowned himself in the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, in 278 BC, as a protest against the tyranny of the Qin regime. To prevent fish from eating his body, people raced their dragon-shaped boats down the river to retrieve him, throwing zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) into the water. This race eventually became the dragon boat race associated with the festival.
2. **Zhao Yuanzhen Legend:** Another legend is about the beauty Lady Zhao, who drowned herself in the Yangtze River because of her love for her husband, Marquis Zhen of Chu. Local fishermen tried to save her but failed. In memory of her sacrifice, people raced dragon boats and threw rice dumplings into the river, believing this would keep the fish from eating her body.
3. **Wu Zixu Legend:** In this tale, Wu Zixu was a loyal minister who was falsely accused and exiled by the king of the state of Chu. While in exile, Wu Zixu warned the people about an impending disaster that would destroy the state. When the disaster did not come to pass, the people were grateful and to express their gratitude, they raced dragon boats in Wu Zixu's honor.
These legends are deeply woven into the fabric of the Dragon Boat Festival, and they are often celebrated with dragon boat races, eating zongzi, hanging calamus (chiang pi) leaves, and other traditional activities.
「点击下面查看原网页 领取您的八字精批报告☟☟☟☟☟☟」