CDBF_Brochure A4_Digital

THE STORIES OF

DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL

,ħ Ĵģĩıİ ıģĶ ħĵĶīĸģĮ īĵ ģĮĵı ĭİıĹİ ģĵ ķģİ ķ ħĵĶīĸģĮ˹ ıİ ĶĪħ ɝĶĪ ĦģĻ ıĨ ĶĪħ ɝĶĪ ĮķİģĴ įıİĶĪ ıĨ Īīİħĵħ ĥģĮħİĦģĴ˹ ɚɚİĦ ıĨ ķİħ ĶĪīĵ ĻħģĴ˸ Ķ īĵ ģ ĦģĻ ĥħĮħĤĴģĶħĦ Ķı ĥıįįħįıĴģĶħ ĶĪħ ĮīĨħ ģİĦ ĦħģĶĪ ıĨ ıİħ ıĨ Īīİģ̎ ĵ įıĵĶ Ĩģįıķĵ ĥīĶīļħİĵ˸ ķ ķģİ ĹĪı ĮīĸħĦ īİ ĶĪħ ljĴħ̂ īįljħĴīģĮ ģĴĴīİĩ ĶģĶħĵ ljħĴīıĦ ̓ ɜɟɝ̂ ɚɚə ̔ ˸

Qu Yuan is popularly regarded as a minister in one of the Warring State governments, the southern state of Chu (present day Hunan and Hubei provinces), a champion of political loyalty and integrity, and eager to maintain the Chu state’s autonomy and hegemony. Formerly, it was believed that the Chu monarch vi ՘`iÀ Ì i ˆ˜yÕi˜Vi œv œÌ iÀ VœÀÀÕ«Ì] jealous ministers who slandered Qu Yuan >à ¼> Ã̈˜} ˆ˜ yià ½ >˜` Ì iÀivœÀi i banished Qu, his most loyal counsellor.

In the year 278 BC, upon hearing of the upcoming devastation of his state from invasion by a neighbouring State (Qin in particular), Qu Yuan is said to have waded into the Miluo river holding a great rock in order to commit ritual suicide as a form of protest against the corruption of the era. The Qin kingdom eventually conquered all of the œÌ iÀ ÃÌ>Ìià ˆ˜VÕ`ˆ˜} Õ >˜` ՘ˆwi` Ì i“ ˆ˜Ìœ Ì i wÀÃÌ ˆ˜iÃi i“«ˆÀi° / i ܜÀ` ˆ˜> `iÀˆÛià vÀœ“ Ì ˆÃ wÀÃÌ `ޘ>ÃÌÞ œv i“«ˆÀi] +ˆ˜] ՘`iÀ ˆ“«iÀˆ>ˆÃÌ Õ˜ˆwiÀ +ˆ˜ - ˆ Õ>˜}°

The common people, upon hearing of Qu Yuan’s suicide, rushed out on the water in wà ˆ˜} Lœ>Ìà ̜ Ì i “ˆ``i œv Ì i ÀˆÛiÀ >˜` tried desperately to save Qu Yuan. They beat drums and splashed the water with Ì iˆÀ «>``ià ˆ˜ œÀ`iÀ ̜ Žii« Ì i wà >˜` evil spirits from his body. Later on, they scattered rice into the water to prevent him from suffering hunger. Another belief is that Ì i «iœ«i ÃV>ÌÌiÀi` ÀˆVi ̜ vii` Ì i wà ] in order to prevent them from devouring Qu Yuan’s body.

However, late one night, the spirit of Qu Yuan appeared before his friends and told them that the rice meant for him was being intercepted by a huge river dragon. He asked his friends to wrap the rice into three-cornered silk packages to ward off the dragon. This has been a traditional food ever since known as Zongzi or sticky rice wrapped in leaves. In commemoration of Qu Yuan, people hold dragon boat races annually on the day of his death.