Duanwu Festival (端午節), or more commonly known in English as Dragon Boat Festival, commemorates a patriotic Chinese minister name Qu Yuan (屈原). The holiday is on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, and the most common traditions are eating sticky rice "dumplings" called zongzi (粽子) and racing dragon boats.
Qu Yuan (340-278 B.C.) was a poet and minister who lived during the Warring States period. He served King Huai of the Chu state (楚懷王), but was slandered by corrupt officials and exiled when he opposed King Huai's decision to ally with the increasingly powerful state of Qin (秦). During his exile, Qu Yuan wrote some of the greatest poetry in Chinese literature, expressing his concern for his state. Legend has it that his health deteriorated due to his anxiety, and when Qin captured Chu's capital, Qu Yuan committed suicide.
The local people greatly admired Qu Yuan and raced out in their boats to save him, but when they could not find him, they dropped balls of sticky rice into the river so that the fish would eat the rice instead of Qu Yuan's body. That is said to be the origin of dragon boat racing and zongzi.
A quick note on zongzi because surprise, surprise, I love food -- zongzi are sticky rice with different fillings wrapped in bamboo leaves (or other leaves such as lotus, banana, reed) and then steamed. The types of fillings vary from region to region. For example, northern China zongzi tend to be sweet and dessert-like, while southern-style zongzi tend to be more savory. Popular savory fillings include pork belly, salted fish, mushrooms, peanuts. Red bean paste is a common sweet filling. Jianshui zong (碱水粽), meaning "alkaline water zong," is a special type of dessert zongzi that is typically smaller with no filling; the sticky rice is treated with lye water or potassium carbonate to give it a distinct yellow color, and they are often enjoyed with sugar or a light syrup.
As for Dragon Boat racing, there's an annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York, and the race this year takes place on August 12 and August 13, 2017 in Flushing Meadows Park. Not sure why they don't do the race on or closer to the actual holiday, other than perhaps it's still too chilly right now.
But anyway, happy Duanwu Jie, and hope you enjoy some zongzi! 端午節快樂!
Qu Yuan (340-278 B.C.) was a poet and minister who lived during the Warring States period. He served King Huai of the Chu state (楚懷王), but was slandered by corrupt officials and exiled when he opposed King Huai's decision to ally with the increasingly powerful state of Qin (秦). During his exile, Qu Yuan wrote some of the greatest poetry in Chinese literature, expressing his concern for his state. Legend has it that his health deteriorated due to his anxiety, and when Qin captured Chu's capital, Qu Yuan committed suicide.
The local people greatly admired Qu Yuan and raced out in their boats to save him, but when they could not find him, they dropped balls of sticky rice into the river so that the fish would eat the rice instead of Qu Yuan's body. That is said to be the origin of dragon boat racing and zongzi.
A quick note on zongzi because surprise, surprise, I love food -- zongzi are sticky rice with different fillings wrapped in bamboo leaves (or other leaves such as lotus, banana, reed) and then steamed. The types of fillings vary from region to region. For example, northern China zongzi tend to be sweet and dessert-like, while southern-style zongzi tend to be more savory. Popular savory fillings include pork belly, salted fish, mushrooms, peanuts. Red bean paste is a common sweet filling. Jianshui zong (碱水粽), meaning "alkaline water zong," is a special type of dessert zongzi that is typically smaller with no filling; the sticky rice is treated with lye water or potassium carbonate to give it a distinct yellow color, and they are often enjoyed with sugar or a light syrup.
As for Dragon Boat racing, there's an annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York, and the race this year takes place on August 12 and August 13, 2017 in Flushing Meadows Park. Not sure why they don't do the race on or closer to the actual holiday, other than perhaps it's still too chilly right now.
But anyway, happy Duanwu Jie, and hope you enjoy some zongzi! 端午節快樂!
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