by Janette Peel

Created on: June 09, 2009

The Dragon Boat Festival or Duan Wu Jie falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Its origin dates back to around 278 BC when a patriotic poet, Qu Yuan died. Qu Yuan was an honorable minister but was undermined in his efforts to fight corruption in the state of Chu. Slandered by false allegations he was disgraced and banished.

During his twenty years of exile, the grief stricken Qu Yuan helplessly witnessed the fall and take over of the state of Chu by the armies of Qin. Filled with despair, he drowned himself in the Mi Luo River, but not before writing some of the most famous poetry in Chinese literature.

The incident occurred on the fifth day of the fifth moon, marking the tragic end of a state and its loyal minister.

Hundreds of 'dragon boats' searched the Mi Luo River for Qu Yuan's body. The people beat gongs to try and frighten the 'River Dragon' into returning him. Rice dumplings wrapped in leaves were thrown overboard to lure the fish away from eating the patriot.

Today, the Chinese hold dragon boat races to commemorate the event. But, of all the customs associated with the Dragon Boat Festival, the most important is the making and eating of zong zi, glutinous rice dumplings filled with meat, eggs, chestnuts, beans and spices wrapped in bamboo leaves in a pyramid shape.

The ancient Chinese believed a dragon controlled the rivers and the rains. On the summer solstice preceding the rainy season, sacrifices were offered to the River Dragon by farmers who hoped to be protected from droughts and floods and be blessed with timely rainfalls. Thus the River Dragon came to be adopted as deity and totem.

The Chinese concept of the dragon is embedded in its early function as a totem of a tribe. Other animals worshipped included the snake, horse, deer, dog, fish and bird.

As the tribes combined under the snake tribe, their totems also underwent a transformation. The appearance of the Chinese dragon took on the body of a snake; the head, mane and tail of a horse; the paws of a dog; the horns of a deer and the scales of a fish. Plus it could fly like a bird.

After some time the dragon became the emblem of imperial powers and because of such overwhelming association with power, the dragon come to symbolize success, wealth and importance.

Dragon boats are long, narrow boats shaped and painted and adorned like dragon. They may be as long as thirty meters and can seat eight to fifteen pairs of oarsmen. The craft

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