Dragon Boat Festival 2010
Introduction to Dragon Boat Festival
Traditionaly, Chinese Dragon Boat Festival is on on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. The 2010 Dragon Boat Festival will be on June 16th in calendar. It is one of the traditional festival in China, which has more than 2,000 years of history.
The festival commemorates the patriotic poet Qu Yuan (340-278 BC), who lived in Warring States in history of China. As a minister in the State of Chu - one of the seven warring states before Qin (221BC - 206BC) in China's first feudal dynasty - Qu Yuan supported the decision to fight against the powerful State of Qin (one of the seven states during the Warring States Period (476 BC - 221 BC)) together with the State of Qi (ibid).
However he was slandered by the aristocrat Zi Lan and was subsequently exiled by the King. In order to show his love and passion for his country, he wrote many enduring poems such as Li Sao (The Lament), Tian Wen (Asking Questions to the Heaven) and Jiu Ge (Nine Songs) and is therefore regarded as a famous poet in China's history. In 278 BC, after finishing his last masterpiece - Huai Sha (Embracing the Sand), he drowned himself in the river rather than see his country occupied and conquered by the State of Qin.
What to do in Dragon Boat Festival
Many traditional customs and activities are held on the specified day by the Chinese people and even by some people in China's neighbouring countries. Among these customs are dragon boat racing, eating zongzi, wearing a perfume pouch, tying five-colour silk thread and hanging mugwort leaves and calamus.
(1)ACtivity One: Dragon Boat Racing
Dragon Boat Racing is the most interesting and exciting activity in the festival. Young men are the major competitors in teh festival.
ACtivity Two: Eating Zongzi
Eating Zongzi is a traditional activity in China. Zongzi is made from rice and meat. Then use a leaves to scrape the rice and then boil it in hot pot.
ACtivity Three: hanging mugwort leaves
Chinese People hanging mugwort leaves to prevent bad luck to their house.
ACtivity Four:Miss Quyuan and His story
The festival commemorates the patriotic poet Qu Yuan (340-278 BC), and also acts as a chance for Chinese people to build their bodies and dispel diseases. Many legends circulate around the festival but the most popular is the legend of Qu Yuan.
Quyan is a great Poet in ancient China. His poetry is well known to most Chinese people.
ACtivity Four:Sending Greeting Card
