**Introduction to the Dragon Boat Festival in English**
The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu, is one of the most important traditional festivals in China, celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month of the Chinese calendar. This festival holds great significance in Chinese culture and has a rich history that dates back over 2,000 years.
**Origins and Significance:**
The Dragon Boat Festival is believed to have originated from the memory of Qu Yuan, a statesman and poet from the Warring States period (475–221 BC). Qu was known for his loyalty and wisdom, but he was exiled and eventually drowned himself in the Miluo River in protest of the corruption and political turmoil of his time. The local people are said to have raced dragon boats and thrown zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) into the river to keep the fish away from Qu's body and to honor his memory.
**Celebrations:**
The main activities during the Dragon Boat Festival include:
1. **Dragon Boat Races:** These are the most iconic part of the festival, where teams of rowers compete in long boats that are painted like dragons. Spectators often cheer and throw zongzi into the water.
2. **Eating Zongzi:** Zongzi are triangular-shaped rice dumplings filled with ingredients such as pork, red bean paste, or lotus seed. They are wrapped in bamboo leaves and steamed. Eating zongzi is a traditional way to commemorate Qu Yuan.
3. **Wearing Periwinkle Leaves:** People often wear periwinkle leaves or carry them as a charm to ward off evil spirits and to protect against illness.
4. **Drinking Realgar Wine:** Realgar wine, made with realgar (a toxic arsenic compound), is believed to have health benefits and is traditionally consumed on this day.
**Mythology:**
The Dragon Boat Festival is also associated with the legend of the Pearl Diver, also known as the Lady of the Dragon River. According to the story, a beautiful girl named Mu Wang drowned herself in the river out of sorrow for her beloved. It is said that the fish in the river were so moved by her story that they swam in a line across the water, forming a dragon-like pattern. This is why the festival is also called the Dragon Boat Festival.
The Dragon Boat Festival is a time for family reunions, traditional food, and the celebration of cultural heritage. It is a day of remembrance, joy, and community spirit.
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