Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu Festival, is celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. There are several origins attributed to this festival in Chinese culture, and here are a few of them translated into English:
1. **Zhao Yu (Zhao Sheng) Commemoration**: The most widely accepted legend is about the nobleman Qu Yuan, who was a statesman and poet in the Chu state during the Warring States period. He was exiled for opposing corrupt policies. Devastated by the state's defeat by the Qin Empire, Qu Yuan drowned himself in the Miluo River. The local people rowed boats out to search for his body and threw zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) into the river to feed the fish and prevent them from harming his body.
2. **Wu Zetian's Rebirth as a Dragon**: In some versions of the story, Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in China, was said to have transformed into a dragon and returned to her homeland to help protect it from invaders. People celebrate by rowing dragon boats to ward off evil spirits and honor Wu Zetian's return.
3. **Xiang Yu's Retreat**: Another legend revolves around Xiang Yu, a general and military leader who failed in his rebellion against the Qin Dynasty. In one version, when Xiang Yu was about to be defeated, he had to make a retreat in a boat. The villagers paddled out to the river to rescue him, and this became the origin of the dragon boat race.
4. **Celebration of Health and Good Fortune**: The Dragon Boat Festival is also seen as a time to honor the deities and ancestors. People often visit temples and offer prayers for good health, wealth, and happiness.
These are just a few of the origins and meanings behind the Dragon Boat Festival, but the festival continues to be a significant and widely celebrated event in Chinese culture and beyond.
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