Racing Dragons
Collected and translated by Vivian Zhang
Photos by Yao Fan and Jason

每逢端午节,人们吃粽子赛龙舟,纪念爱国诗人屈原.可是你知道吗,还有几位历史名人也与这个节日有关联.

Date:
5th day of the 5th lunar month


Portrait of Zhong Kui

Place:
Nationwide


Herb-filled pouches

Activities:
Dragon Boat racing and Zong Zi eating (pyramid shaped rice wrapped in bamboo leaves). The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated by racing boats shaped like dragons. Competing teams row their boats racing to a drumbeat to reach the finish first.
The celebration is also a time for seeking protection from evil and disease for the rest of the year. It is done by the different practices such as hanging healthy herbs on the front door, drinking nutritious concoctions, and displaying portraits of evil's nemesis(捉鬼人), Zhong Kui. If one manages to stand an egg on its end at exactly 12:00 noon, the following year will be a lucky one.

Origin of the festival:
Qu Yuan屈原
The boat races during the Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional custom which attempts to rescue the patriotic poet, Qu Yuan. Qu Yuan was also concerned about the fate of his government. Unfortunately his status aroused the jealousy of the king, who banished him to a remote area. The poet despaired of the government and its policies. When the state's capital was captured by enemies, he committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River.

Qu Yuan drowned on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month in 277 BC. Chinese citizens now throw bamboo leaves filled with cooked rice into the water so that the fish would eat the rice rather than the hero poet. Later this turned into the custom of eating Zong Zi and rice dumplings.

Other historical figures commemorated on that day:
Wu Zixu 伍子胥
Wu Zixu, who was living in Chu State during the Chunqiu period (770-476 BC), fled to Wu State after the king of Chu killed his father and brother. Later, with his help, Wu's army captured the capital of Chu. When the king was dead, Wu Zixu still unearthed his body and gave it 300 whips.

Wu's army went on to fight with its neighboring state, Yue and won a great victory. Yue pleaded for peace and the king of Wu agreed, turning a deaf ear to Wu Zixu's insistence that Yue must be taken over completely. Moreover, because of some vicious words against Wu Zixu by a high official who was bribed by Yue, the king of Wu insisted Wu Zixu commit suicide.

Before killing himself, Wu Zixu asked his neighbor to gouge his eyes out after his death, and hang them high on the city wall of Wu's capital, for he wanted to "see" how Yue's army would break in (this is what truly happened in 473 BC). The king of Wu was so furious at his prediction that he ordered Wu Zixu's body be tossed into the river, and that was on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month that year.

Cao E 曹娥
Cao E was a girl who fulfilled her filial duties to her parents. Cao lived in the Donghan Dynasty (25-220AD). Her father was drowned in a river and his body was never found. Cao, who was only 14, ran along the riverside and cried day and night. After seventeen days' search in vain, she jumped into the river on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. Five days later, she appeared above the water with her father's body in her arms. The legend has spread far and wide. Today, you can still find the tomb of Cao E in Shao Xin, Zhejiang Province and the Cao E River that is named after the girl.

 

 

Show new skills
By Vivian Zhang
Photo by Yao Fan and Jason

A scene in the contest

Karsten Eis and his creation

The "Shengzhou" Cup, the Zong Zi Wrapping Contest, concluded last Saturday evening at the SM City. All participants were the winners of the first round race which began a week ago. They gathered for the final in three groups to compete for the prizes - the deftest hand, the most imaginative Zong Zi and the best family combination.

Karsten Eis, from Germany and Daniel Galanra, from the Philippines showed their newly-learnt skills against local competitors amongst the cheers of the spectacular crowd. Karsten Eis, who is working at ABB Xiamen, eventually won the third prize for the most imaginative Zong Zi with his flower-shaped creation.

"There are so many beautiful and gifted ladies present tonight and it is for them." He explained his idea to a Common Talk reporter. "I found it difficult to make a regular-shaped Zong Zi but I really enjoyed the fun. Chinese people should be proud of having such colorful traditional customs and practices."

The contest was held by the Xiamen Daily and the Xiamen Tourism Bureau.

 

 

Message Board

Concert by Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra
厦门爱乐音乐会
Conductor: Wang Junshi
指挥:王钧时
Violin solo: Jian Ai
小提琴独奏:蹇爱
Time: 19:30, June 25
时间:6月25日19:30
Venus: Music Island Philharmonic Hall, Wan Shou Lu at 67 Wen Yuan Lu
地点:音乐岛-爱乐厅(万寿路口-文园路67号原电力礼堂)

Tang Linnan Chinese fan painting exhibition
汤琳南扇面展
Time: June 15-30
时间:6月15日至30日
Venue: Jiuyujinlai Xuan Gallery (opposite Hongdu Hotel)
地点:旧雨今来轩画廊(宏都酒店对面)