Dragon Boat Festival

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After being here for two weeks, we had our first Chinese holiday. May 28th was the Dragon Boat Festival. I have attached a description of the festival from Wikipedia. It was really cool to watch. We got there early thinking we could find some food stalls and then a place to sit. Our first mistake was that our culture must be the only one who plans everything around food. There was nothing to eat anywhere and we were already hungry. We have learned our lesson to take something to eat everywhere we go. We took our driver and he handed us some bottled water as we left the van. What a guy! We found a place to sit on a wall. It was a little high but Jason helped me up onto it. This is only important because after we had watched the festivities on the stage and then some races, we were ready to leave. When Jason jumped off of the wall there was a rush of people from behind us after his spot and apparently mine. I was pushed off of the wall. Thank goodness Jason caught me.

We were sitting next to a guy who was very interested in Jason’s Blackberry and our camera. He kept directing Jason on which pictures to take and then checked to make sure he took the right ones. I had an older man next to me that I know would have carried on a complete conversation, well he kind of did, with me. Too bad we knew nothing more than how to say “hello”.

From Wikipedia:
The best-known traditional story holds that the festival commemorates the death of poet Qu Yuan (c. 340 BC - 278 BC) of the ancient state of Chu, in the Warring States Period of the Zhou Dynasty. A descendant 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. Qu Yuan was accused of treason. During his exile, Qu Yuan wrote a great deal of poetry, for which he is now remembered. Twenty-eight years later, Qin conquered the Chu capital. In despair, Qu Yuan committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth month.

It is said that the local people, who admired him, threw food into the river to feed the fish so that they would not eat Qu Yuan's body. This is said to be the origin of zongzi. The local people were also said to have paddled out on boats, either to scare the fish away or to retrieve his body. This is said to be the origin of dragon boat racing.

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Photos

Come on, Share
This kid had lots of food but he wasn't sharing.

Stage Festivities
We are not too sure what was going on but there was dancing, music and some speaches

Oh, no
And some lucky paddlers got to take a swim

Racing 1
Everyone has an umbrella, rain or shine

Comments

[Wilma Schwarz]

love you stories
Hi So good to be able to read your interesting tales.. Lordy. carrie about your last eating trip, i would have gagged myself. so glad you are with a group of women now, I'm sure that will make the time go faster and not so lonely for home. Love you Grandma . Grandpa loved his card!