The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and elsewhere around the world. The people of China generally receive a three-day break from work in order to celebrate with friends and family.
Why do we celebrate Dragon Boat Festival?
The renowned Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Tuen Ng, falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. It commemorates the death of Qu Yuan, a Chinese poet and minister known for his patriotism and contributions to classical poetry and who eventually became a national hero.
Is Dragon Boat Festival Canceled?
In 2020, the event was canceled due to COVID. In 2021, the event was canceled due to health concerns with COVID as well as blue-green algae in the lake. This year, festival organizers unexpectedly hit another obstacle: one of the dragon boats was hit by lightning.
Why is it called Dragon Boat Festival?
It is called Dragon Boat Festival, or Longzhou Jie (龙舟节) in Chinese, because of its close association with dragon boats. Chinese people attach great cultural significance to dragons. The two main activities during the festival are eating zongzi (rice dumplings) and boat races, and both are related to dragons.
Where is the Dragon Boat Festival celebrated? – Related Questions
What food is eaten on the Dragon Boat Festival?
The traditional food of the Dragon Boat Festival is zongzi. If you are of Cantonese descent, the pronunciation “joong” may be more familiar. They’re sometimes described as Chinese tamales. Instead of corn masa, they’re filled with sticky rice, and instead of corn husks, bamboo leaves/reed leaves are used.
Why do we eat dumplings on Dragon Boat Festival?
Chinese people eat Zongzi during the Dragon Boat Festival to memorialize Qu Yuan, a famous Chinese poet who lived 2300 years ago in State of Chu inWarring States Period. An interesting legend of Zongzi has been passed down through generations from ancient China.
What do you drink during the Dragon Boat Festival?
Besides eating zongzi, there is also a custom of drinking realgar wine, also known as xionghuang wine, on the Dragon Boat Festival. Realgar wine is a Chinese alcoholic drink that’s made from Chinese cereals.
What should I eat before a dragon boat race?
Digestion times: Sufficient time is needed before a race or practice: Large meal— three to four hours. Smaller meal— two to three hours. Snacks—e.g., fruit —one to two hours.
Two to three hours before Race or Practice:
- Fruit.
- Fruit or vegetable juices.
- Bread, bagels;
- Low fat yogurt.
- Water.
Why do Chinese eat sticky rice?
In traditional Chinese cuisine, sticky rice may be used in both sweet and savory dishes. Sticky rice is delicious and adds a depth of flavor that can cut through intense and distinct tastes and flavors of other food. Another reason people use sticky rice in their dishes is to add a different texture to a dish.
What does dragon boat mean?
a boat used for racing, designed and decorated in a traditional Chinese way to look like a dragon, and made to move by many people using paddles: The festival is marked by races of colourful dragon boats. Popular in China and other parts of Asia, dragon boat racing has spread to more than 50 countries.
What do dragon boats represent?
Since then, dragon boat racing has become a major part of Chinese culture, representing patriotism and group integrity. According to the legend, the fishermen began throwing rice into the river as an offering to Qu Yuan, so that his spirit could be nourished in the next world.
What is the legend of the Dragon Boat Festival?
The Dragon Boat Festival commemorates the death of Qu Yuan, a Chu state official and poet who lived during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) before the reunification of China under the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC).
Where did dragon boats originate?
Dragon boat racing began in China more than 2000 years ago as a rite to awaken the hibernating Heavenly Dragon. Races were held on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month of the Chinese calendar (the summer solstice).
How much do dragon boats cost?
How much do Dragon boats cost? Dragon boats for sale on YachtWorld are available for a variety of prices from $8,640 on the relatively lower-priced models, with costs all the way up to $249,950 for the most advanced and biggest yachts in the world.
How do we celebrate Dragon Boat Festival?
The Dragon Boat Festival is a celebration where many eat rice dumplings (zongzi), drink realgar wine (xionghuangjiu), and race dragon boats. Other activities include hanging icons of Zhong Kui (a mythic guardian figure), hanging mugwort and calamus, taking long walks, writing spells and wearing perfumed medicine bags.
How long does a dragon boat race take?
Each race takes approx. 2.5 min., but heats are run every 12-15 min. allowing for teams to load and unload their boats. Boats race in heats of 3 to 4 boats across.
How hard is dragon boat racing?
Dragon boat is a very tough sport, let alone the training hours. There’s water training (actual paddling), land or circuit training, and some do have pool paddle training. Oftentimes, a dragon boater’s week can be quite full (especially in prepping for races).
What do you wear to dragon boating?
Wear water-resistant clothing (e.g. team jersey, shorts, gym attire, bathing suit underneath, etc). DO NOT WEAR JEANS, COTTON, OR FLEECE BECAUSE YOU WILL GET WET! You may wish to wear water-resistant shoes or go barefoot in the boats. Flip flops are NOT recommended in the boat.
How many people fit in a dragon boat?
The crew of a standard dragon boat typically consists of 22 team members: 20 paddlers in pairs facing toward the bow of the boat, 1 drummer or caller at the bow facing toward the paddlers, and 1 steerer standing at the rear of the boat.
How long is a 20 person dragon boat?
A Dragon Boat is a racing craft some 12.40 metres long and 1.16 metres wide. A Standard boat sits 20 paddlers in pairs side by side, a Sweep (Steerer), and when racing, a Drummer. The boat weighs some 250 kg.