Dragon Boat Festival 2021 | Duanwujie | 端午节 | 端午節 | duānwǔ | Qu Yuan

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The Dragon Boat Festival, (Duan Wu Jie), also known as Duan Yang, falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month around the summer solstice. 

It's origins can be traced to southern China, and festivities include boat races, and eating rice dumplings. 

The festival had evolved from the practice of revering the river dragon, to the commemoration of Qu Yuan, a third-century poet and political figure of the state of Chu in ancient China. 

The dragon was initially viewed as the benevolent spirit of the waters. 

Among common people, it was believed that, the river dragon controlled the rain, and was thus worshipped during the summer solstice. 

Requests would be made for a balanced rainfall, sufficient to ensure a good harvest, without over-abundance that would cause destructive flooding. 

The early Chinese dragon, had the head of a horse, the body of a snake, wings of a bird, and four or five legs. 

There would be five claws on each foot if it were an imperial dragon; otherwise there would only be four claws.  

Chinese mythology, counts at least five sea-dragon kings, as part of the Chinese pantheon. 

These divine immortals were later adopted by Chinese emperors as the imperial emblem, and thus the dragon became a symbol of power, wealth and prosperity. 

During the spring and autumn seasons, the fishermen of Wu (Jiangsu Province), and Yue (Zhejiang Province), used dragon-shaped boats, to appease the river dragons. 

Dragon boat races are believed to have started between 770 and 476 BCE. 

In the state of Yue, King Gou Jian, regularly trained his navy using boat races. 

It was during the Han Dynasty, that dragon boat racing became a sport.  

The boats were long and narrow, with prows painted like a dragon’s head. 

Noisy gongs and drums set the pace for the rowers. 

Flags would flap in the air while spectators cheered boats, gaily decked in lanterns, towards the finishing line. 

Happy Dragon Boat Festival !! 

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