Chinese Culture - The Dragon Boat (Duanwu) Festival History

Chinese: 端午节 Duanwu Festival, Duānwǔ Jié, Lóngchuánjié, Lóngzhōujié, Double Fifth; 
Date: month 5 day 5 of the Chinese lunar calendar; 
History: over 2,000 years; 
Celebrations: dragon boat racing, health-related customs, honoring Qu Yuan and others; 
Popular festival food: eat sticky rice dumplings (zongzi), eat salted duck egg; drink realgar wine (xionghuangjiu);

Chinese culture is one of the world's oldest cultures, traces back to thousands and thousands of years ago. meanwhile, Dragon Boat Festival also have over 2,000 years history, According to Chinese historical records, There are four main views about the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival:

1. To commemorate Qu Yuan
The story best known and most influenced in modern China holds that the festival commemorates the death of the poet and minister Qu Yuan (c. 340–278 BC) of the ancient state of Chu during the Warring States period of the Zhou Dynasty. A cadet member of the Chu royal house, Qu served in high offices. However, when the king decided to ally with the increasingly powerful state of Qin, Qu was banished for opposing the alliance and even accused of treason.[11] During his exile, Qu Yuan wrote a great deal of poetry. Twenty-eight years later, Qin captured Ying, the Chu capital. In despair, Qu Yuan committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River.

It is said that the local people, who admired him, raced out in their boats to save him or at least retrieve his body. For to express their mourning, people boating on the river, then gradually developed into a dragon boat race.  When his body could not be found, they dropped balls of sticky rice into the river so that the fish would eat them instead of Qu Yuan's body. This is said to be the origin of zongzi.

2. To commemorate Wu Zixu
Despite the modern popularity of the Qu Yuan origin theory, in the former territory of the state of Wu, the festival commemorated Wu Zixu (died 484 BC). Wu Zixu was a loyal advisor whose advice was ignored by the king to the detriment of the kingdom. Wu Zixu was forced to commit suicide by the king Fuchai, with his body thrown into the river on the fifth day of the fifth month. After his death, in places such as Suzhou, Wu Zixu is remembered during the Duanwu Festival to this day.

3. To commemorate Cao E
The third legend of the Dragon Boat Festival is to commemorate the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 23--220 years) dutiful daughter Cao'e Jumped river to save Father. Cao'e Eastern Han Shangyu, father addicted to the river, a few days but not the body, then only 14 years old Cao'e dutiful daughter, day and night along the wail. After seventeen days, also Jiang vote in the May 5, holding of her father's body after five days. and it was communicated to myth.
Tomb of the dutiful daughter Cao'e, in this Shaoxing, Zhejiang, Afterwards legend Cao'e  inscription written by the Jin Wang. After commemorate Cao E filial piety, and build a "Cao'e Temple" where she Jumped river,  she lived in the village was renamed "Cao'e town", the father of martyrdom at Cao'e named "Cao'e river". according to legend the Dragon Boat Festival and therefore also to commemorate Cao'e day.

4. To commemorate Jie Zitui
According to the records of the Eastern Han Dynasty "Qin Cao" written by Cai Yong , the Dragon Boat Festival is to commemorate Jie Zitui.

Whatever the historical legends, from the ancient times till now, the Dragon Boat Festival is still one of China's largest traditional festival, in 2008, the Dragon Boat Festival is listed as national holidays. In May 2006, the State Council will be included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage; September 2009, UNESCO formally review and approve the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival on the World Intangible Cultural Heritage, China became the world's first elected non-heritage festival.

LS VISION, is a warm family and team, To celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, LS VISION provide rice dumplings and salted duck egg for each employee, Meanwhile, we will have three days holiday from June 9 to June 11, 2016. LS VISION wish all friends good health and happy forever.