Dragon Boat Festival - Duanwu Festival 端午节 - 端午节

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• published: 24 Aug 2013
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Dragon Boat Festival 端午节 - 端午节 Duanwu Festival Duanwu Festival, also known as Dragon Boat Festival and the Double Fifth, is a traditional and statutory holiday originating in China and associated with a number of East Asian and Southeast Asian societies. In Mandarin, it is known as Duānwǔ Jié; in Hong Kong and Macau, by the Cantonese name Tuen Ng Festival; in Hokkien-speaking areas like in Malaysia and in Singapore, by the names Gō͘-go̍eh-cheh/Gō͘-ge̍h-choeh (五月節) and Gō͘-ji̍t-cheh/Gō͘-ji̍t-choeh (五日節). In 2008, it was recognised as a public holiday in mainland China for the first time since the 1940s.[1][2] The festival has also long been celebrated in Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia. Equivalent and related festivals in Asia include the Tango no Sekku in Japan, Dano in Korea, and Tết Đoan Ngọ in Vietnam. The festival occurs on the 5th day of the 5th month of the lunisolar Chinese calendar. This is the source of the alternative name of Double Fifth.[3] The date varies from year to year on the Gregorian calendar. In 2011, this fell on June 6 and in 2012 on June 23. In 2013, it's on June 12. The focus of the celebrations includes eating rice dumplings zongzi,[4] drinking realgar wine xionghuangjiu (雄黃酒), and racing dragon boats. The sun is considered to be at its strongest around the time of summer solstice ("mid-summer" in traditional East Asia) when the daylight in the northern hemisphere is the longest. The sun, like the Chinese dragon, traditionally represents masculine energy, whereas the moon, like the phoenix, traditionally represents feminine energy. The summer solstice is considered the peak annual moment of male energy[5] while the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, represents the peak annual moment of feminine energy. The masculine image of the dragon is thus naturally associated with Duanwu. Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duanwu_Festival Hong Kong Discovery Bay's dragon boat races Official name Duanwu Festival (端午节) Tuen Ng Festival (端午節) Also called Double Fifth (雙五節) Dragon Boat Festival (龍舟節) Gō͘-go̍eh-cheh/Gō͘-ge̍h-choeh (五月節) Gō͘-ji̍t-cheh/Gō͘-ji̍t-choeh (五日節) Observed by Chinese Type Cultural Date 5th day of the 5th lunar month 2012 date June 23 2013 date June 12 Observances Dragon boat racing, consumption of xionghuangjiu and zongzi Related to Children's Day, Dano, Tết Đoan Ngọ, Yukka Nu Hii Dragon Boat A dragon boat (also dragonboat) is a human-powered watercraft made in the Pearl River Delta region of China's southern Guangdong Province out of teak wood to various designs and sizes. In other parts of China different woods are used to build these traditional watercraft. It is one of a family of Traditional Paddled Long Boats found throughout Asia, Africa, and the Pacific Islands. Dragonboats are the basis of the team paddling sport of dragon boat racing an amateur watersport which has its roots in an ancient folk ritual of contending villagers held over the past 2000 years throughout southern China. While 'competition' has taken place annually for more than 20 centuries as part of religious ceremonies and folk customs, dragon boat racing has emerged in modern times as an international sport, beginning in Hong Kong in 1976. But the history of dragon boats in competition reaches as far back as the same era as the original games of Olympia in ancient Greece. Both dragon boat racing and the ancient Olympiad included aspects of religious observances and community celebrations along with competition. In December 2007, the central government of the People's Republic of China added Duanwu, along with Qingming and Mid-Autumn festivals to the schedule of national holidays observed in the People's Republic of China, such is the importance of dragonboating in China today. Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_boat 龙舟