History of Dragon Boating

The Dragon Boat Festival - "Duan Wu Jie" in Chinese - is traditionally celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar. Most believe dragon boat festivals were established to commemorate a great patriot poet, Qu Yuan.

But there are other fascinating theories to explain the festival's origins. One is that the festival originated as a ritual response to tabooed "evil days." The fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar is traditionally considered an evil month, and the fifth day is considered particularly bad. Holding a festival may have been how ancient communities held "evil" at bay.

These old cultural traditions were absorbed by a more recent historical event - the death of the legendary poet and statesman, Qu Yuan.

Qu Yuan served in the court of Emperor Huai during the Warring States Period (475 - 221 BC). He was a wise man, but his struggle against corruption angered greedy court officials. The corrupt power brokers convinced the Emperor to exile Qu Yuan.

During his exile, Qu Yuan traveled, taught, and wrote. But the strain of exile drove him to dark despair. When he heard that his mother country, the Chu State, had been defeated by the strong Qin State, he decided to end his life.

Qu Yuan flung himself into the Miluo River.

According to legend, after hearing Qu Yuan had drowned, local fishermen raced to the spot in their boats to search for his body.

Unable to find him, people threw zongzi (a wrapped glutinous rice dumpling), eggs, and other food into the river to keep the fish away from his body. In the centuries since his suicide, people have commemorated Qu Yuan by recreating the circumstances of his tragic death. They race dragon boats and eat zongzi every year on the anniversary of his death - the fifth day of the fifth month.

Dragon boat races are now held worldwide, and the ideals of Qu Yuan are still honoured - through Taoist ceremonies, the spirit of the paddlers, and the invitation and involvement of the local community. Through the festival's many activities, people are reminded of the importance of loyalty and commitment to the community.