|
Chinese Traditional Festival in June:
Duan-Wu Festival
The month of June sees the Chinese people celebrating the Lunar May Fifth Festival. It commemorates the death of a patriot named Qu Yuan (343BC - 278 BC) during China's Warring States period. As an official of the Chu Kingdom, Qu Yuan was exiled by his king for speaking the truth. Later when the enemy overran his country because the king failed to take his advice, Qu Yuan committed suicide in a river to show his loyalty.
Qu Yuan was loved and respected by the citizens of the kingdom, and people living along the river tried to rescue him when they heard he had leaped into the river. Fishermen rowed their canoes into the river to try to find his body; people on the side of the river threw rice balls into the river so the fish would eat the rice instead of Qu Yuan's body. Every year afterward, Chinese people commemorated Qu Yuan with dragon boat races on the river, and ate steamed rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, called zong-zi. The day Qu Yuan committed suicide was May Fifth. Today this holiday ranks among the most important Chinese holidays along with Lunar New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival.
Click here to watch a Dragon Boat race in Beijing:
http://english.ntdtv.com/ntdtv_en/ns_china/2010-06-16/139931369364.html
|
