Thanks a lot for your last letter, in which you asked me about the Dragon Boat Festival, a traditional Chinese festival. Here is something about it.
Over a thousand years ago, there was a famous poem called Qu Yuan in China. He cared about the common people as well as the whole country, so he did a lot for them. However, he was not satisfied with the political situation at that time. What’s worse, he was unable to change it. At last, he felt so hopeless that he decided to take his own life (take one’s own life = commit suicide自杀). Finally, he jumped into the Miluo River and drowned ( drown淹死，溺死). In memory of him, people created the Dragon Boat Festival.
The Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, so it is also called the Double Fifth Festival. It usually comes in June. In China, it has been a public holiday, so we have 3 days off. On that day, we usually eat zongzi, a kind of traditional Chinese food, which is made of glutinous rice (stuffed with different things). It tastes really delicious. We also drink xionghua wine. It’s said that it can keep us from evil spirits. To celebrate this festival, what’s more, we have many activities. The most popular one is dragon boat races. People usually take active part in them and enjoy themselves a lot during the races.
I’m really glad that you’re interested in our Dragon Boat Festival. If you want to know more about it, I’d like to send you some photos that I took during the festival last year. I hope they will be helpful.
I’m looking forward to hearing from you.
Qu yuan, who is a poet, minister and statesman in ancient China, played anessential role in Chu country. His wisdom and knowledge of which King Huaithought highly is blamed for the envy from other officials. In order to keep Quyuan from disturbing their proposals, they said some gossips to King Huai. Theking trusted them, changed his mind to Qu yuan and recalled his position.
Havingheard this news, Quyuan was exceedingly depressed, screaming into sky and sankhimself in Miluo Lake. Villagers were heart-broken when they heard this dreadfulthing. For the sake of protecting him from being bitten by fish or dragon,villagers poured Zong zi, eggs even Realgar wine into the river. Since then,each individual sculls the dragon boat and eats Zong zi for memorizing thisgreat and patriotic poet.
The exact origins of Duan Wu are unclear, but one traditional view holds that the festival memorializes the Chinese poet Qu Yuan (c. 340 BC-278 BC) of the Warring States Period. He committed suicide by drowning himself in a river because he was disgusted by thecorruption of the Chu government. The local people, knowing him to be a good man, decided to throw food into the river to feed the fish so they would not eat Qus body. They also sat on long, narrow paddle boats called dragon boats, and tried to scare the fish away by the sound of drums aboard the boat and the fierce looking carved dragon head on the boats prow.
In the early years of the Chinese Republic, Duan Wu was also celebrated as "PoetsDay,"due to Qu Yuans status as Chinas first poet of personal renown.
Today, people eat bamboo-wrapped steamed glutinous rice dumplings called zongzi (the food originally intended to feed the fish) and race dragon boats in memory of Qus dramatic death.
Beijing in hebei province to fight the dragon boat festival free water, often in pre-pre-absorbed, is said to be well in order to avoid toxicity. street hawkers selling on the dragon boat festival mulberry cherry, dragon boat festival is said to eat a cherry mulberry can be eaten throughout the year does not fly. shop the sale of the oven fresh " cake", that is, worm pattern in five of the cake for decoration. luanxian employed men and women have many relatives chatham each other gifts on dragon boat festival. dragon boat festival, local officials will gather for a retreat to the south, the city invited literati feast, known as the "tap liu."
Zouping county, shandong province, the dragon boat festival, drinking a cup per person is required to get up early, legends can be believed. sunshine children wrapped around the dragon boat festival to seven-color line has always been to wear the first time to post solutions to rain down before throwing in the rain. linqing county dragon boat festival, the following seven-year-old boy with at ( doing michael necklace), girls with but also the mother to wear yellow cloth shoes made by hand, using wool uppers five strokes on the worm. qu yuan by means of the ink to kill five worm. jimo in the dragon boat festival the morning wash your face with dew.
My favourite festival is the Dragon Boat Festival. It is on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month every year.
People celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival to remember Qu Yuan. People always eat rice dumplings and have dragon boat races. I like the Dragon Boat Festival because I like eating rice dumplings. I like sweet rice dumplings with beans best. I also love taking photos. I always take photos of the dragon boat races on that day.
I like the Dragon Boat Festival best.