Dragon Boat Festival

The Dragon Boat Festival, Duan Wu Jie, Duan Yang meaning the "Upright Sun" or "Double Fifth", Fifth Month Festival (common name amongst the Chinese), a Chinese festivity tracing its origins to Southern China, falling on the fifth day of the fifth month around the Summer Solstice, involving boat races and rice dumplings. The festivity evolved from the practice of revering the River Dragon, to what later became a festival to commemorate Qu Yuan, a third century poet and political figure of the State of Chu.

Legends & Myths
River Dragon
The dragon was initially viewed as the benevolent spirit of the waters. It exemplified the masculine principle or yang in the Chinese ideology of harmony. Amongst the commonfolk, it was believed that the river dragon controlled the rains and was thus worshipped during the Summer Solstice, with requests for a balanced rainfall - sufficient to ensure a good harvest yet without an overabundance causing destructive flooding. The early Chinese dragon had the head of a horse, the body of a snake, wings of a bird, four or five legs (five claws on each foot if they were imperial dragons; otherwise it would only be four claws). Chinese mythology counts at least five Sea-dragon Kings as part of the Chinese pantheon. These divine immortals were later adopted by Chinese emperors as the imperial emblem and thus the dragon evolved to become a symbol of power, wealth and prosperity.

Qu Yuan
Primitive worship of the river dragon was often practised during the Summer Solstice. The Dragon Boat Festival was tied to Qu Yuan's story only in the second century A. D. Qu Yuan was a councillor and a patriotic Chu Minister who lived in the third century B.C. In the midst of turmoil during the period of Warring States, Qu Yuan had warned his king, Lord Huai of the threat that the northern Qing posed toward the southern state of Chu. However, political intrigue led Lord Huai to banish Qu Yuan instead. The ministry was left in the hands of corrupt statesmen and Qu Yuan helplessly watched his motherland decline. Depressed, he began to pen beautiful, patriotic poetry such as Li Sao (an allegorical poem stating his political aspirations), Jiu Ge (or "Nine Songs") and Huai Sha (pointing to his eventual suicide), all of which gained Qu Yuan great renown. In 278 B. C., General Bai Qi led the Qing armies to occupy Ying and destroyed the Imperial palace. Several months later, on the fifth day of the fifth moon in 279 B.C. Qu Yuan, driven to despair, threw himself into the Mi-Luo River, giving his life to his country.

Here the legend varies. Some suggest that fishermen at hand attempted to save their Minister. Having failed, they sought to appease his spirit by throwing out rice stuffed in bamboo stems into the river to prevent the fish from eating the body of their beloved Minister. Others say that the rice offerings had been snatched by a river dragon and the rice needed to be bundled in chinaberry leaves instead and tied with five different coloured silk threads in order to be effective. The triangular rice dumplings or zong zi thus became entwined with the festivities. Another version has the farmers rowing out in dragon boats in their attempt to save Qu Yuan. Thus the practise of the dragon boat races.

Dragon Boat races
During spring and autumn seasons, the fishermen of Wu (Jiangsu Province) and Yue (Zhejiang Province) used dragon-shaped boats to appease the river dragons. The Dragon Boat races is believed to have started in 770-476 B. C. in the state of Yue when King Gou Jian regularly trained his navy using boat races. It was during the Han dynasty that Dragon Boat races became a sport. The boats are long and narrow, its prow painted like a dragon's head. Noisy gongs and drums set the pace for the rowers. Flags wave in the air while spectators cheer boats, gaily decked in lanterns towards the finishing line. Casualties were common at these races because while the participants paddled intensely, their opponents were known to throw stones and cane sticks. Casualties at the races were never rescued and those who drowned during the races were considered as a sacrifice to the river dragon.

The Dragon Boat Festival continues to be celebrated wherever there were Chinese. Today the Dragon Boat Festival has evolved into a respected international sport. In Singapore, the festival is a noted tourist event and competitors from the Asian region and throughout the world participate in the annual race. Tied to the event are fundraising and community work, following in the same vein of patriot Qu Yuan who contributed his life as a sacrifice for his country.


Author
Suchitthra Vasu



References 
Burkhardt, V. R. (1972). Chinese creeds and customs: A compilation of the best-selling trilogy (p. 156). Hongkong: Publication Division, South China Morning Post.
(Call no.: R 390.0951 BUR)

Chinese customs and festivals in Singapore (pp. 51-55). (1989). Singapore: Federation of Chinese Clan Associations.
(Call no.: SING 390.08995105957 CHI)

Cooper, J. C. (1990). The Aquarian dictionary of festivals (pp. 68-69). Wellingborough: Aquarian.
(Call no.: R 394.2 COO) 

Duan Wu Jie - Dragon Boat Festival. (1984, May 4). The Singapore Heritage, 2-3.
(Call no.: RCLOS q959.57 SH) 

Lai, K. F. (1984). The Hennessy book of festivals (pp. 45-48). Kuala Lumpur: Heinemann Asia.
(Call no. RSING 394.2 LAI)

Latsch, M. (1985). Traditional Chinese festivals (pp. 54-66). Singapore: G.Brash
(Call no.: RSING 394.2 LAT)

Lee, S. M. (1986). Spectrum of Chinese culture (pp. 180-181). Petaling Jaya, Selangor: Pelanduk Publications.
(Call no.: RSING q301.2951 LEE)

Tan, H. P. (1991). Fun with Chinese festivals (p. 58). Singapore: Federal Publications.
(Call no.: Y 394.26951 TAN)

Walshe, J. (1997). Dates and meanings of religious and other festivals: With a calendar for 1997-2001 (p. 77). London: Foulsham Educational.
(Call no.: 291.36 WAL)

Werner, E. T. C. (1984). Myths and legends of China (pp. 209-212). Singapore: G. Brash.
(Call no.: RSING 398.20951 WER)



The information in this article is valid as at 1999 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library  for further reading materials on the topic.

Subject
Ethnic Communities>>Festivals and Celebrations
Dragon boat festival
Festivals--Singapore
People and communities>>Customs>>Festivities