DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL ORIGIN LEGEND | DUAN WU JIE & ZONGZI
The memory is hazy but I can still remember the chilly wind against my cheeks and the infrequent sprays of rain against my face. The trees along the sidewalk swaying along as the streets fill up with small puddles. The sky is covered with thick gray clouds which show no signs of dissipating. We knew this rain storm was not going anywhere anytime soon. People crowded around the riverbank, trying to squeeze to the very front as umbrellas fight above them. As a two year old, I am quite anxious about squeezing in with the growing crowd of adults. Luckily my mother and grandmother also didn’t think that would be a good idea (indeed great minds think alike), and distanced ourselves from the crowd. We retreated across the street and stood under the awnings of a restaurant. Feeling cold, tired, and hungry, we decided to have an early lunch. The first floor of the restaurant was packed to the brim when we walked in so the hostess brought us to the second floor. Surprisingly, we noticed that they have a covered balcony with tables and chairs. The balcony conveniently faces the river. We immediately asked if we could be seated on the balcony. That became our VIP seating area of the dragon boat race. The balcony gave us a clear view of the race above the trees that lined the sidewalk. That was my first memory of the dragon boat festivities.
Duan Wu Jie, also known as the holiday of the dragon boat festival, is looked forward to by Chinese people. It is a day full of delicious food, family companionship, and exciting boat races. Most Chinese holidays come with a legend or a historic origin story. These legends can have many different versions as they were passed on through word of mouth. The version that my mother told me recently goes as such. In the Warring states era of China, Qu Yuan 屈原 (wat6-jyun4), a loyal advisor of the Chu state, proposed an alliance with the Qi State to defend the attacks of the Qin State. His proposal was met with strong dispute from the royal family.
Not long after he was framed and was exiled for disloyalty. The Qin state attacked and as Qu Yuan has predicted, without the alliance with Qi, their state stood no chance. The emperor was kidnapped and held hostage. The newly crowned Chu emperor surrendered seeing no other way out and the Chu state fell. Qu Yuan, with immense love for his state, decideed to fall with it. On the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar, he ended his own life by jumping into the Miluo River.
During his time in exile, he wrote numerous extraordinary poems. All of them have their own particular style, but most express patriotism and Qu Yuan’s love for the state of Chu. These poems became well known around the states and the people of Chu were deeply touched. In honor of Qu Yuan, they rushed to the Miluo River to commemorate him. They threw rice into the river to prevent fish from eating Qu Yuan’s corpse.
In China, the dragon is seen to be the mythical symbol of power and divinity. They are the controllers of the seas, rivers, and any other bodies of water on earth. People fear that the river dragon might hurt Qu Yuan and that it would eat up all the rice they threw in. An old doctor threw a bottle of wine into the river saying that it would put the dragon to sleep. Another gave the idea of wrapping the rice into leaves to prevent the dragon from eating it up. These little treats are given the name Zongzi. Eventually, this became the tradition to Zongzi into the river to commemorate the patriotic poet on the fifth day of the fifth month. His poems became classics that scholars memorize by heart. This is why Duan Wu Jie is also called Shi Ren Jie (Poet’s Day). Dragon boat racing on Duan Wu Jie ties the dragon legend into this origin story; although, this tradition can be traced even further back into history. The fifth month of the year is the time when rice seedlings are transplanted. The people will row boats with dragon carvings in symbolism of asking the water guardians to watch over their crops and ensure a good harvest.
Qu Yuan’s story is the most well known origin legend behind Duan Wu Jie. Aside from this story, there are many other versions. The second most well known would be the story of Wu Zixu, who was also a citizen of the state of Chu. His family was killed by the Chu emperor. Wu Zixu left Chu and aligned himself with the Wu state. He was betrayed again when the Wu emperor rejected his idea of eradicating the state of Yue and accepted Yue’s bribe. Zixu committed suicide and demanded to have his eyes gouged out and hung on the city gate to watch Yue take over Wu. The Wu emperor ordered servants to throw Zixu’s body into the river in fury.
People threw Zongzi into the river to calm the raging tides caused by the fury of Wu Zixu.
In another version, a filial fourteen year old girl jumped into the river to save her father. Her father fell into the river and the girl cried and searched along the riverbank for seventeen days. On the fifth day of the fifth month she jumped into the river. After five days, she returned with her father’s corpse. This touching story was spread all over the country and the governor decided to honor her with a memorial.
The origin of Duan Wu Jie can vary when told from different regions in China. But all demonstrate some of the most important attributes Chinese people treasure, patriotism and filial piety. Duan Wu is an important holiday where Chinese families gather to share freshly made Zongzi and cheer on the different teams entered into dragon boat races. It is a national holiday where all workers are given a day off. Coming up on May 22 this year, you can hold a Duan Wu Jie gathering and tell this origin to old and young during your family gathering!
If you are interested in more Chinese legends, holiday origins, or cultural stories, stay tuned to our blog. If you want to get to know a culture deeper, it is best to learn through their native languages. We have a variety of resources from books to podcasts that teach Mandarin, Cantonese, and Taishanese. Check them out below!
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