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Expat's Eye
Print Edition> Expat's Eye
UPDATED: June 14, 2008 NO. 25 JUN. 19, 2008
In the Same Boat
Dipping into Dragon Boat history
By VALERIE SARTOR
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Unlike the National Day or Spring Festival holidays that create massive logistical travel and traffic problems, the Dragon Boat Festival, falling on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar or June 8 this year, is a one-day affair celebrated throughout China but more so in southern regions where there are large bodies of water. Kunming in Yunnan Province, Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province and Suzhou in Jiangsu Province are ideal cities to visit during this holiday.

On this day, everywhere in China, people eat triangular-shaped rice dumplings stuffed with sweet or savory filling called zongzi. Street peddlers hawk these glutinous cakes wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves all day and night. I always stuff myself silly despite the fact that the food is actually readily available throughout the year. Since I prefer to live in north China, I really had no inkling why the Chinese gobble up this food on this particular day but my young south Chinese co-workers quickly educated me.

"These cakes were meant to feed Qu Yuan, a poet and minister in the Warring States Period dating back more than 2,000 years," explained He Shan as we strolled in the sunshine to our favorite lunch spot.

"He drowned himself in the Miluo River in Hunan Province after the king refused to take his advice," added Weiwei, another colleague. "So the people mourned him by rowing boats in the river, splashing and making noise to scare the fish away from desecrating his corpse."

"And then they threw in some zongzi for him to eat in the afterworld," added He. "You know we Chinese hate for anyone to ever be hungry, either in life or death."

Over time this historical event merged with the ancient Dragon Boat superstition, the girls explained. Ancient southern Chinese believed that boat racing would ensure good harvests. The Dragon Boat holiday took place during the summer solstice, a warm time when disease could kill crops and men. The boat races symbolized the struggle against nature.

"You know we Chinese call ourselves ‘descendents of the Dragon,'" Weiwei commented. "Here the Dragon is auspicious and benevolent, totally opposite to your Western imagery of a morbid beast that must be destroyed to save humanity. Traditionally we believe that dragons can control the water-rain, sea, and rivers. They live in the water and bring wealth and good luck; for farmers they bring the needed rainfall for crops."

"But the point of the Dragon Boat Festival is not to worship dragons: it's to have fun," interrupted He. "In Kunming the dragon boats are red. We ‘awaken the dragon' by painting pupils in its eyes. This blesses the crew and the boat and even the entire region. Then people have fun racing, shouting and throwing water at each other. It's a really entertaining holiday."

"Why red? I thought dragons were supposed to be green?" I asked her.

"Because red represents the number five, the holiday's date, and because red means hot, summer and fire. This holiday occurs on summer solstice."

"But summer is from June through August," I objected.

"Well, things have changed over time in China," replied He. "And for the better. In the old days the crowd threw rocks at the people rowing the boats. It was considered good luck if a boat overturned, or somebody fell out of the boat and drowned."

"That makes the dragon god look pretty bad to me," I answered.

"Well, Chinese dragons can be capricious," Weiwei replied. "The Dragon god had nine sons, all of them had strong personalities. One is reckless, another bellicose, another likes to dream; the fourth is a swimmer and the fifth likes to roar so he's on bells. The sixth son is an excellent pack animal, the seventh loves music-he's on many musical instruments, the eighth likes smoke and fire so he's on incense burners, and finally the last is as tight lipped as a snail so he's on doors to guard secrets."

"You can see them all in Beijing," said He. "At the Nine-Dragon Wall in BeiHai Park. The wall was built in 1756, it's still lovely."

Soon I discovered dragon symbols everywhere, learning that theoretically Chinese dragons are composed of nine animals: the head of a camel, the eyes of a demon, the ears of a cow, the horns of a stag, the neck of a snake, the clam's belly, the eagle's claws, the soles of its feet resembling a tiger's and finally, its 117 scales resembling the carp.

"We're Dragon ladies!" the girls chorused when I revealed my findings. "Study the dragon's language: Chinese, to understand more."



 
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