How to Introduce Duanwu Festival to Foreign Friends

Dragon Boat Festival, also called as Duanwu Festival or Tuen Ng Festival, is a traditional holiday observed annually over 2,000 years in China to commemorate Qu Yuan (340-278 BC), an ancient Chinese patriotic poet. Originated from south China, Dragon Boat Festival enjoys higher popularity in southern areas, such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong and Fujian Provinces.

Dates

Defined by Chinese lunar calendar, the date of Dragon Boat Festival falls on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month according to lunar calendar, so the solar calendar varies every year. On 2017, it falls on May 30 (Tuesday). The holiday in China starts from May 28 to 30, 2017.

Origin & History

Why is the Dragon Boat Festival celebrated? With a history over 2,000 years, it used to be a hygiene day when people would use herbs to dispel diseases and viruses. However, the most popular origin is closely related to the great poet Qu Yuan in the Warring States Period (475 – 221BC). To engrave his death on the fifth day on the fifth lunar month, people celebrate the festival in various ways.

Legend of Qu Yuan

As a minister in the State of Chu - one of the seven Warring States, Qu Yuan was a patriotic poet who wrote a lot of works to show his care and devotion to his country. Composing masterpieces like Li Sao (The Lament), he was regarded as one of the greatest poets in Chinese history. After he was exiled by the king, he chose to drown himself in the river rather than seeing his country invaded and conquered by the State of Qin. He died on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, thus people decided to commemorate him on that day every year.

Tradions & Customs

Many traditional customs and activities are held on the specified day by people in China and even by people in neighboring Asian countries. Dragon boat racing and eating Zongzi are the central customs of the festival. In some regions in China, people also wear a perfume pouch, tie five-color silk thread and hang mugwort leaves or calamus on their doors.

What about the Koreans?

The Koreans? Well, everything is Koreans’.

What to say on Duanwu?

On Duanwu Festival, people normally don’t say “happy Duanwu Festival”, instead people wish each other auspicious and well-being, because it is a day to commemorate a great man and a day to expel diseases and evil.

Wiitrans wishs you and your families an auspicious Duanwu Festival, and may peace and health be with you all the year round.