Chinese Traditional Dragon Boat Festival
June 3, 2019
On the occasion of the Chinese traditional Dragon Boat Festival falls on June 7th, 2019, all staff of Boli Bioproducts has received an elegant and delicious celebrating package of Zongzi for free.
The Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu Festival) is a traditional holiday in China that occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese lunar calendar. The festival commemorates the death of an ancient patriot poet Qu Yuan ( 340 –278 BC).
Qu Yuan, who lived during the Warring States period of ancient China, is known for his patriotism and contributions to classical poetry and verses, especially through the poems of the Chu Ci anthology. As a loyal minister in the State of Chu--- one of the seven Warring States --- Qu Yuan’s wisdom and intellectual ways antagonized other court officials; they accused him of false charges of conspiracy and he was exiled by the king. Qu Yuan chose to drown himself in the Miluo river rather than seeing his country invaded and conquered by the State of Qin.
The local people of Chu tried to save Qu Yuan in a belief that he was an honorable man. They searched desperately in their boats looking for Qu Yuan but were unable to save him; they threw sacrificial cooked rice into the river for Qu Yuan in a hope that the rice would prevent the fishes in the river from eating his body. Qu Yuan died on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, thus people decided to commemorate him on that day every year.
Nowadays, many traditional customs and activities are held on the specified day in China; However, Dragon boat racing and eating Zongzi are the central customs of the festival to commemorate this attempt at rescuing Qu Yuan.