The Dragon Boat Festival, also referred to as Duanwu and Tuen Ng in Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese dialects, is an annual event that occurs on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, with the 2023 celebration scheduled for June 22. Although it is widely recognized for dragon boat races within Chinese communities, the festival is commemorated through distinct customs in other regions. In this article, we elaborate on the diverse ways in which the festival is observed across various Asian cultures.
The commemoration of the Dragon Boat Festival is accompanied by a public holiday in mainland China and Hong Kong.
The origins of the Dragon Boat Festival in Chinese culture can be traced back to the Warring States period (475-221BC), where it served as a day of remembrance for Qu Yuan, a poet and politician from the state of Chu who drowned himself in the Miluo River in modern-day Hunan province in 278BC upon learning of his state’s downfall, following a period of exile.
As per the traditional tale, the local inhabitants threw rice dumplings into the river to prevent the fish from devouring Qu Yuan’s body, and simultaneously employed boats and drums to ward off malevolent spirits.
Consequently, dragon boat racing and the consumption of sticky rice dumplings encased in bamboo leaves, commonly referred to as zongzi in Mandarin and zong in Cantonese, emerged as significant customs associated with the Dragon Boat Festival, and continue to endure as such in contemporary times.
Although certain studies indicate that a comparable custom honoring the summer solstice was prevalent prior to Qu Yuan’s demise, dragon boat racing and the consumption of sticky rice dumplings have evolved into the hallmark practices of the festivities commemorating the Dragon Boat Festival in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Chinese communities across Southeast Asia and other global regions.
Diverse types of zongzi, originating from various regions, are available. For instance, in Beijing, the dumplings are sweet and incorporate ingredients such as red date, red bean paste, and dried fruits. On the other hand, in Sichuan province, located in southwest China, renowned for its spicy cuisine, zongzi are prepared to impart a fiery flavor by using Sichuan peppercorns and chili powder.
In Malaysia and Singapore, pandan leaves are utilized instead of bamboo leaves to wrap zongzi. The Cantonese rendition comprises a blend of sweet and savory flavors, lending the dumplings a unique yellow hue.
Dragon boat racing has emerged as a prevalent sporting activity, attracting participants from across the globe. The Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races, organized on a yearly basis, are a noteworthy event. After a four-year disruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the races are scheduled to take place on June 24 and 25 in 2023.
In Korea, the fifth day of the fifth lunar month is referred to as Dano or Surit-nal, and follows the sowing season in the late spring. Given its predominantly agrarian nature, premodern Korea observed this day with aspirations for a bountiful harvest and the absence of calamities or ailments prior to the onset of the summer monsoon.
During Dano, Koreans partake in certain customs such as washing their hair with water boiled with sweet flag, a herb believed to forestall hair loss and enhance hair quality. Men engage in ssireum, a traditional form of Korean wrestling, whereas women indulge in swinging for amusement.
Koreans consume a range of tteok, or Korean rice cake, containing wild herbs known to possess disease-preventing properties. Surichwi tteok is circular in shape, whereas ssuk beomul is infused with mugwort. To stimulate the appetite in hot weather, Aengdu hwachae, a Korean fruit salad comprising cherries, is also served.
Dano continues to be a significant festival in both South and North Korea. In northeastern South Korea’s city of Gangneung, the festival is referred to as Gangneung Danoje. Its inclusion in the Unesco list of intangible cultural heritage dates back to 2005.
The yearly occasion held in Gangneung venerates General Kim Yu-shin of the Silla dynasty that governed the Korean peninsula from 57BC to 935AD. As per local beliefs, the general is regarded as the protective deity of a mountain.
Tango no sekku was initially a yearly festival observed by the Japanese imperial court on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Its purpose was to safeguard boys belonging to the samurai military officer caste from malevolent spirits.
The festival’s inception dates back to the Kamakura period (1185-1333). However, with the introduction of the Gregorian calendar to Japan in the early Meiji period (1868-1912), the festival began to be observed on May 5. It subsequently became known as Boys’ Day, serving as the male equivalent to Girls’ Day or Hinamatsuri in Japanese, which is celebrated on March 3.
In honour of Tango no sekku, Japanese individuals adorn their homes with samurai armour, helmets, swords and samurai dolls. This custom stems from the tradition that samurais followed centuries ago, wherein they exhibited weapons in their abodes before the monsoon season.
Koinobori, which are flags shaped like carp, are also hoisted on this day, mirroring the samurai households’ practice of displaying flags denoting their family crests.
On Tango no sekku, customary dishes comprise kashiwa mochi, glutinous rice cakes containing red bean paste and enclosed in oak leaves, and chimaki, sweet sticky rice dumplings wrapped in sweet flag or bamboo leaf, resembling zongzi. Analogous to the Korean Dano practice, Japanese individuals bathe in water boiled with sweet flag.
In 1948, the Japanese government altered the name of Tango no sekku to Children’s Day or Kodomo no hi in Japanese, to encompass both genders. Additionally, the festival was declared a public holiday.
Vietnam
Vietnam’s festival held on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month is known as Tet Doan Ngo. Legend has it that this day marks the commemoration of the demise of Au Co, a goddess venerated as the mother of all Vietnamese individuals.
Tet Doan Ngo is also referred to as the Killing Insects Festival. The Vietnamese populace holds the belief that insects reside within their bodies and become exceedingly hostile during this festival.
Vietnamese individuals hold the conviction that consuming com ruou, which are glutinous rice balls fermented in rice wine broth, inebriates the parasites. Subsequently, eating sour fruits eradicates them. This practice has endured to the present day.
Vietnamese culture also entails the consumption of banh tro, which are sticky rice dumplings resembling zongzi but filled with sweet mung bean paste. These dumplings are steeped in ash water and enveloped within a banana leaf.
In certain areas of Vietnam, duck meat is a customary dish during the festival, as it is believed to possess a cooling property on the human body.
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