Customs of the Dragon Boat Festival in Guangxi

Customs of the Dragon Boat Festival in Guangxi

Dragon boat racing, making rice dumplings, hanging mugwort... Every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, well-known traditional customs are repeated. Yesterday, people in Yangmei Ancient Town, Tanluoxialang Village and other places in Nanning spontaneously organized grand dragon boat races and related folk activities to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival. The following are the customs of the Dragon Boat Festival in Guangxi that I have compiled. Everyone is welcome to learn from and refer to them. I hope it will be helpful to everyone.

However, the custom of celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival has different characteristics in various places in Guangxi. Take a look at the elderly people who once lived in various places in Guangxi and listen to them talk about how they spent the Dragon Boat Festival in their memories.

Pingle, Guilin

Realgar wine is sprinkled in front of and behind the house at noon

Ms. Pan, who grew up in Pingle, Guilin, came to Nanning a few years ago settle down. She told reporters that every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, residents in Pingle area would be busy making rice dumplings. However, the rice dumplings they make are different from the common ones. "There are both sweet and salty ones, and the ingredients are all taken from natural plants and herbs." Ms. Pan said that sweet rice dumplings are what the locals commonly call "grey water rice dumplings." Sweet rice dumplings must be made with what the locals call "golden firewood", or by burning straw into ash, soaking it in water and filtering it. "Only by using these two materials, the cooked rice dumplings will have a golden color and strong alkalinity." As for the local salty rice dumplings, peanuts, mung beans, chestnuts, and black sesame are often mixed with glutinous rice, and a piece of ribs is wrapped in it. Or wrapped in a piece of pork belly.

Ms. Pan said that ever since she was sensible, every household would hang mugwort leaves on their doors during the Dragon Boat Festival. Older generations say mugwort leaves can ward off evil spirits; today's younger generation believe mugwort leaves can dispel wind and dampness, which is good for health.

“In addition, at noon on the Dragon Boat Festival, the old people would sprinkle some realgar wine in front of and behind their houses.” Ms. Pan recalled that on the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival in previous years, people would purchase realgar and rice wine to make realgar wine. . Because most of our ancestors lived near the mountains, there were many snakes and insects on the mountains. In order to prevent snakes and insects from entering the house, the locals used to spray soaked realgar wine around the house on the Dragon Boat Festival. This custom has been passed down to this day.

Tanluo Xialeng

Putting river lanterns on the overpass for a whole day of carnival

In Xialeng Village, the custom of dragon boat racing during the Dragon Boat Festival has been going on for hundreds of years. In addition, there are many unique local festival customs.

Aunt Lu married in Xialeng Village when she was young and has lived in the village for more than 30 years. She said that when living in Xialeng Village, one must first learn a skill that every Xialeng woman must master, which is making river lanterns. Every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, after the dragon boat race, every household will take the alley as a unit, and young and old will get on the boat and set off river lanterns in the river. "Use blue, red, cyan and other colored papers to fold them into a quadrangular river lantern, and place a candle in the middle. After lighting the candle at night, carefully place the river lantern on the water, which is called lighting the river lantern."

Aunt Lu said that before the Dragon Boat Festival, women in every lane in the village gathered together to make river lanterns. Each lane made about two to three hundred lanterns. At night, the stars on the river were dotted and very beautiful. People in Xialeng Village believe that their ancestors lived by the water, and the river lanterns can pray for them and keep them safe.

In addition, on the night of the Dragon Boat Festival, the people of Xialeng Village will gather in an open area and invite the Taoist priest to perform the practice on the pre-built "overpass", which is commonly known as "Shangtianqiao" in the local area. In fact, the "overpass" is a pyramid-like structure built with tables. The villagers beat gongs and drums around the "overpass" and it was very lively.

Neighbors of Yongcheng

Retrieve the "dragon boat water" to cook rice, brew medicine and bathe

An old Nanning farmer who lives on Bianyang Street said that he lives by the Yongjiang River. Neighbors in the area had the impression that when they were celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival when they were children, they would go to the Yongjiang River to get "Dragon Boat Water" (some residents also call it "Dragon Boat Water") in the early morning of the Dragon Boat Festival, and then use it for cooking, brewing medicine, and bathing. However, few young people today continue this custom.

However, many old Nanning people are still accustomed to buying some medicinal herbs on the Dragon Boat Festival, boiling them with water at home, and then bathing the whole family. "We have been doing this since we were children, and now that we have sons and grandsons, we hope they will follow this custom." An aunt on Yongning Street told reporters that because of this custom, every Dragon Boat Festival, various farmers' markets, There are so many vendors selling medicinal herbs in vegetable markets and streets. Most of what they sell are fresh mugwort, calamus, silver vine, wild chrysanthemum, willow leaves, eucalyptus leaves, maple, live hemp, willow branches, wild mint, and mulberry leaves and other plant stems. Everyone thinks so The "herbal bath" can relieve heat and pain, disperse wind and heat, and can be used on children to remove moisture and prevent prickly heat.

Jingxi, Baise

On the fifth day of May, go to the medicine market to buy herbal medicine

Ms. Leng, who has settled in Nanning for many years, is originally from Jingxi County, Baise City. She told reporters that in recent years, the Dragon Boat Festival Medicine Market in Jingxi County has developed into a grand festival, with many people traveling thousands of miles to purchase herbal medicines.

Ms. Leng said that in her memory, there is a different scene in her hometown every Dragon Boat Festival. Among them, the Zhuang people in Jingxi area, in addition to making "ox horn" rice dumplings to commemorate Qu Yuan, there was also a very lively custom street day - the medicine market. On this day, people from all over the world gathered in Wei Town carrying loads of Chinese herbal medicine. In the county seat alone, medicine stalls line the market and nearby streets. Thousands of men, women, and children came to the medicine market, and the scene was crowded and noisy.

“When we were young, we often went to the medicine market with our elders, so we were able to identify many medicinal herbs.” Ms. Leng said that the local custom of going to the medicine market during the Dragon Boat Festival has lasted for hundreds of thousands of years, so every time During the Dragon Boat Festival, medical farmers from Yuanjin Village in Jingxi County, as well as folk doctors and people from surrounding Debao, Napo, Tiandong, Tianyang, Youjiang District, Tiandeng, Daxin and even Yunnan, Vietnam and other places will also collect their own medicine. Various Chinese herbal medicines, medicinal animals, minerals, etc. are grown and transported to Jingxi for sale. Many rare and exotic herbs can be seen in the market.

"With the changes of the times, the current medicine market is no longer just about buying and selling medicinal herbs, but has developed into a folk medicine exchange conference and a big stage for folk medicine exchanges." Ms. Leng said .

Customs of the Dragon Boat Festival in Yulin, Guangxi

The fifth day of the fifth lunar month is the Dragon Boat Festival, which is a major folk festival in the year after the Spring Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival. The customs of Yulin people celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival are generally the same as those across the country, but there are also some unique features. The main customs include hanging calamus, hanging sachets, making rice dumplings, stuffing bitter melon and tofu, offering sacrifices to gods and ancestors, and dragon boat racing.

　"Hanging calamus

Since the first day of the new year, people have hung bunches of calamus at all doors of their homes, especially the main entrance. Calamus, mugwort branches, and peach leaves are all mascots that can exorcise evil spirits. They are hung until the end of the Dragon Boat Festival before being taken down.

The ancients believed that "hanging sachets" Children are young and weak and can easily attract evil spirits. Therefore, on the Dragon Boat Festival, they hang sachets for their children. The sachets are carefully sewn with red or floral cloth and contain mugwort leaves. They have a strong fragrance, so they are called sachets. .

"Making Zongzi

Making Zongzi is another main part of the Dragon Boat Festival. However, in the old tradition of Yulin, Zongzi has nothing to do with Qu Yuan. "Feng Tu Ji" written by Zhou Chu of the Jin Dynasty: " In mid-summer, the Dragon Boat Festival is the day when the millet is cooked, which is the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. "That is to say, rice dumplings are made on the Dragon Boat Festival on the fifth day of May. Yulin Dragon Boat Festival rice dumplings are the same as the Spring Festival rice dumplings. They are used to worship gods and ancestors. On the Dragon Boat Festival, the rice dumplings will not be thrown into the river, nor will an altar be set up by the river to worship Qu Yuan. So , Yulin people celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival to commemorate Qu Yuan.

There are two kinds of rice dumplings, one is "meat rice dumplings", which are common rice rice dumplings; the other is "gray water rice dumplings". "The glutinous rice of this kind of rice dumplings has been soaked in grass ash water in advance. The resulting rice dumplings are crystal clear and served with sugar juice. They are sweet, smooth and crispy and taste great. They are more popular than "meat rice dumplings".

Special dishes

▎Stuffed bitter melon and stuffed tofu

The special dishes of Yulin Dragon Boat Festival are stuffed bitter melon and stuffed tofu. The stuffing of stuffed bitter gourd is pork, green onions, and glutinous rice. Why is rice included? Because in the old society, poor families ran out of food in May. Last year's late rice was gone, and this year's early rice has not yet matured. This is the time of greatest famine. On Dragon Boat Festival, rice is stuffed into bitter gourds, which means "there is rice in the belly of bitter gourds in May", which means that the poor will have rice to eat in May and their lives will be better.

　"Dragon boat racing

Dragon boat racing is the climax of the Dragon Boat Festival. Before the Republic of China, the Nanliu River was more than ten feet deep and the water surface was wide, so Dragon Boat racing was popular.

Customs of the Dragon Boat Festival in Guangxi

This custom has lasted for more than 2,000 years in my country. Every May 5th day of the lunar calendar, people all over the country celebrate the festival according to their traditional customs, and Guangxi people also celebrate it. No exception. When people in Guangxi celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, the traditional customs inherited to commemorate Qu Yuan include dragon boat racing, eating rice dumplings, preparing sweet wine, etc. Before the legend of Qu Yuan was widely spread, the customs of the Dragon Boat Festival followed the taboos on evil days. , focusing on health care and avoiding epidemics, and health care and avoiding epidemics are mainly reflected in hanging mugwort leaves and calamus, wearing sachets to ward off evil spirits, taking Chinese medicinal baths, and drinking herbal wine and realgar wine

Dragon boat racing.

As the most distinctive custom of the Dragon Boat Festival, dragon boat racing has a long history. According to folklore, the people of Chu were reluctant to let go of the death of their virtuous minister Qu Yuan, so many people rowed boats to chase him and save him. There was no trace of Qu Yuan, so dragon boat racing was held every year on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month to commemorate the event and to disperse the fish in the river to prevent them from eating Qu Yuan’s body. Today, dragon boat racing has become a popular traditional competitive sport. Every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, there are dragon boat racing activities all over Guangxi. At that time, the riverside is crowded with people and extremely lively.

The dragon boats are divided into two levels, one with children dressing up on the other. There are historical and fairy figures on the lower deck, and there are drums and gongs on the lower deck, and sailors sitting on both sides. This kind of dragon boat is quite performative. The other is the small dragon boat used for competition. During the competition, the small dragon boat spins around the big dragon boat. , when objects are thrown from the big dragon boat, the sailors on the small dragon boat go into the water to fight for them. Among them, money and ducks are the hardest to grab, because coins sink when they hit the water, and ducks will swim around to avoid them.

The dragon boat racing event in Nanning City has been held in Yongjiang since liberation. This year it moved to Nanhu Park for the first time. The race starts from Nanhu Bridge and ends at Bihu Road, with a total length of 600 meters. 51 men's and women's teams compete here.

Eating Zongzi

During the Dragon Boat Festival, people of all ethnic groups in Guangxi have the custom of eating Zongzi, and they also have their own way of making Zongzi. Aunt Chen, who has been living for more than seven years and is originally from Xiantao City, Hubei Province, told reporters that in her hometown, every Dragon Boat Festival, every household cooks glutinous rice or steams rice dumplings. In addition to family members tasting it themselves, some rice dumplings are also thrown into the river to worship Qu Yuan. In order to prevent fish from eating the rice dumplings, people used bamboo tubes to hold glutinous rice and threw it into the river. Later, people in Guangxi gradually used rice dumplings wrapped in convenient and simple rice dumplings instead of bamboo tubes, and they also followed this custom.

Hanging mugwort leaves and calamus and brewing herbs

During the Dragon Boat Festival in previous years, in the yard where the reporter lives, there were many people upstairs and downstairs tying calamus, mugwort leaves, garlic, dragon boat flower and other Chinese herbal leaves into bunches. Hanging it by the door. After asking, I found out that this is also one of the traditional customs of Guangxi people during the Dragon Boat Festival. In addition, some people also make these Chinese herbal medicines into wine for drinking.

Herbal bath

Wei Jiachang, who lives in the Nanning Railway Locomotive Depot in Chengbei District, Nanning City, is an old Nanning man. He said that when he was a child, when the Dragon Boat Festival came, his mother would go to the vegetable market and buy a handful of them. I boiled the Chinese herbal medicine in water and gave myself a bath. I was told that after washing, I would not get sores or prickly heat. Now that I have a child, I wash my child every year. Mr. Wei said that this kind of Dragon Boat Festival "herbal bath" has been popular in Guangxi for a long time, not only in Nanning, but also in many places.

Stories and Legends of the Dragon Boat Festival

As for the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival, there have always been different opinions.

Some people regard it as commemorating the patriotic poet Qu Yuan who threw himself into the Miluo River on the fifth day of May. Some people say that in ancient times, this festival was a day for disinfection and avoiding epidemics.

According to records in the literature and many Dragon Boat Festival customs passed down from generation to generation, May is regarded as the "poisonous month" and "evil month". The fifth day of May is the first of the nine poisons, so this day Many special customs were spread to ward off evil spirits, disinfect and avoid epidemics, such as planting mugwort leaves, drinking realgar wine, and offering sacrifices to the messengers of the five plagues.

Later, the meaning of the Dragon Boat Festival changed. In order to commemorate the patriotic spirit and noble personality of the patriotic poet Qu Yuan, people have forgotten the original meaning of the Dragon Boat Festival that has been circulated, and associated some customs such as dragon boat rowing and rice dumpling making that were not necessarily commemorating Qu Yuan to him.

Nowadays, most people only remember that the Dragon Boat Festival is related to Qu Yuan. In fact, some new generation of young people have not much impression of Qu Yuan’s story. What they know is that this is a festival for eating rice dumplings, that's all.

Regarding dragon boat racing during the Dragon Boat Festival, in fact, it is not the arrival of the Dragon Boat Festival, but there are also dragon boat racing events everywhere. From exorcising evil spirits and avoiding epidemics to commemorating Qu Yuan, the meaning of the Dragon Boat Festival has changed a lot.

The original meaning of this festival has been gradually "eroded" by social changes year after year.

Today, this festival has become a Chinese food festival. From the old corn millet and rice dumplings to today's various colorful rice dumplings. Many places incorporate their own local delicacies into rice dumplings.

In fact, the main custom of the Dragon Boat Festival is dragon boat racing. Regarding the dragon boat race, written records began in "Xu Qixie Ji" written by Wu Jun of the Liang Dynasty 500 years ago. Later, written records about dragon boat racing can be found in many records. Among the thousands of local chronicles existing in various parts of China, there are only 227 local chronicles with records of dragon boat races.

The sayings about dragon boat racing and dragon boat racing during the Dragon Boat Festival include "all the boats set out together to rush to Cheng to rescue Qu Yuan." and "a shout and drum music frightened away the dragon." These are all reminiscent of Qu Yuan.

Every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, the Chinese people in the north and south of China and Southeast Asia will also hold dragon boat races and promote the Dragon Boat Festival.

Customs of the Dragon Boat Festival of the Zhuang people in Guangxi

Every year on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, the Zhuang people in most areas celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival. On this day, Zhuang people wrap various kinds of rice dumplings with glutinous rice, cook them and eat them themselves. In some places, they throw some into the river to commemorate the spirit of the poet Qu Yuan. Some places have various regulations, for example: no meat is eaten on this day, only cold rice dumplings are eaten to show filial piety to Qu Yuan; some places do not shave their heads that month to show filial piety, etc. Some spray realgar wine around the house, saying it can ward off evil spirits; some drink realgar wine or take a bath with it to ward off disasters; in some areas, mugwort, maple leaves or thatch are stuck on the door, said to ward off evil spirits. etc. The Zhuang people near the river hold dragon boat racing activities. They use long bamboo rafts to make dragon boats and compete on the river.

Some Zhuang people living in Wenshan area kill chickens, ducks, fish, etc. to pay homage to the great Doctor Qu on the Dragon Boat Festival, just like paying homage to their own ancestors. This custom has lasted for more than two thousand years, and the Zhuang people still deeply commemorate Dr. Qu who sacrificed for the country and the nation.

According to Sima Qian's "Historical Records: Biography of Qu Yuan and Jia Sheng", Qu Yuan was a minister of King Huai of Chu during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. He advocated the promotion of talents and empowerment, enriched the country and strengthened its army, and advocated uniting Qi to resist Qin. However, due to strong opposition from Zilan, a nobleman of the Chu state, and others, Qu Yuan was dismissed from his post, driven out of the capital, and exiled to the Yuan and Xiang river basins. During his exile, he wrote about his concern for the country and the people. Immortal poems such as "Li Sao", "Tian Wen" and "Nine Songs" have a profound impact on later generations.

What does the Dragon Boat Festival have to do with the Zhuang people? We have to start with Zhuangqiao. First of all, Qu Yuan and Zhuang Yu are both Baiyue people, which are the ancestors of our Zhuang people today.

In 299 BC, Zhuang Yu refused to cede the Eastern Territory to Qi and became autonomous. Qu Yuan also opposed Chu's cession of Eastern Territory to Qi. He was considered an accomplice of Zhuang Yu and angered King Qingxiang of Chu. Resigned and exiled. Although there is no direct connection between Zhuang Yu and Qu Yuan in historical data, judging from the fact that Zhuang Yu accepted the offer from King Qingxiang of Chu after Qu Yuan's death, Zhuang Yu was influenced by Qu Yuan's thoughts. In the 21st year of King Qingxiang of Chu (278 BC), the capital of Chu was captured by Qin. Qu Yuan, filled with grief and anger, bouldered into the Miluo River and died for his country. Qu Yuan's patriotism moved Zhuang Yu to return to Chu State, and he was willing to accept the offer of King Chu Qingxiang and defend Chu State to the death.

After the Battle of Chuisha, Zhuang Yu occupied the east region to rebel against Chu's autonomy and became an enemy of Chu. Qu Yuan was from Chu and missed the previous unity very much. The Battle of Chuisha tore the Chu state into pieces. This is This is the situation that Qu Yuan least wants to see, so Qu Yuan did not write about Zhuang Yu's rebellion against Chu's autonomy because of "taboo". In his later years, Qu Yuan wandered around the Yuan and Xiang river basins and devoted himself wholeheartedly to the country's society. But in the end, what was exchanged was that the country was torn apart, and the country was destroyed and the family was destroyed. Qu Yuan's patriotism deeply moved Zhuang Yu's patriotism and passion for saving the country. This is why Zhuangqiao accepted the offer of King Qingxiang of Chu after Qu Yuan died for his country.

According to historical records, in the 19th year of King Qingxiang of Chu (276 BC), during the middle and late Warring States Period, Zhuang Yu arrived in the Dianchi area, where he competed with Qin for Chuba and central Guizhou. When he was in the county, the road was cut off by Qin, so he had to lead his people back to his hometown of Dianchi Lake, destroy the Yelang Kingdom, and then Wang Dian, established the Dian Kingdom, and began the history of his rule in the Dianchi Lake area.

In the second year of Yuanfeng (109 BC), Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty conquered the Dian Kingdom and established Yizhou County. Later, due to repeated internal strife in Dian, the last Dian king was killed. After the Juding Kingdom defeated the Dian Kingdom, most of the Dian people became spoils of war or prisoners of war and were forced to move south. Some of them arrived in the western part of Guangxi, and some went to areas such as Wenshan in Yunnan, where they integrated or lived with the local indigenous residents. Became the ancestor of the current Zhuang people.

Now that the Dragon Boat Festival has been included in the world’s intangible cultural heritage by the United Nations, as descendants of the Baiyue people, while we feel gratified, we have a heavier responsibility to carry forward and inherit the Dragon Boat Festival culture and Baiyue culture. , let the descendants of the Zhuang people remember everything our ancestors left to us!

The customs of the Dragon Boat Festival in Nanning, Guangxi

It can be seen as early as in the "Historical Records of Mengchangjun" According to records, as late as the Warring States Period, May 5th was regarded as an "evil day" in the northern Central Plains. The Lost Customs of the Eastern Han Dynasty also has sayings such as "Building a house in the fifth month will make people bald" and "If you get an official position in the fifth month, you will not move until the evening." Although the records in these documents about the fifth day of the fifth lunar month are mostly fragmented, if these fragments are pieced together and studied carefully, the taboo information behind the Dragon Boat Festival can be seen.

The fifth day of the fifth lunar month is midsummer. The ancients believed that this was the junction point in the year when yin energy began to sink and yang energy began to rise. During this period, the temperature rises, snakes and insects breed, and diseases and plagues occur frequently, so people call it the "evil month." The Dragon Boat Festival customs that have been handed down for thousands of years are closely related to the purposes of "warding off evil spirits" and "praying".

Realgar Wine Sachet Medicine Market

In order to get rid of the dampness and heat in the body and avoid the breeding of ants, flies and hundreds of insects in the house, many Dragon Boat Festival customs handed down from the folk are related to Related to Chinese herbal medicine. The most famous one is undoubtedly the custom of drinking realgar wine during the Dragon Boat Festival, which is well-known because of a touching love legend between Xu Xian and the White Snake Lady. The greatest effect of realgar is that it can drive away snakes and insects that come out in midsummer.

However, the custom of drinking realgar wine during the Dragon Boat Festival is mainly popular in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. In Guangxi, during the Dragon Boat Festival, people from all over the country wrap mugwort, calamus and other Chinese herbal medicines in red paper into swords or little figures and hang them on their doors to ward off evil spirits.

In addition, adults also like to use herbs such as Atractylodes, Patchouli, and Dogwood to make various colorful sachets for children to wear on their chests, or use eucalyptus leaves, wild mints, and other herbs. She boils water with herbs such as , Silver Flower Vine and other herbs to bathe the children. All kinds of actions have the best wishes to pray for the health of the children.

Every time before and after the Dragon Boat Festival, Nanning citizens can buy these related herbal medicines at the wet market, hang them at home, or boil water for bathing. This custom is common in Guangxi Dragon Boat Festival. One of the customary features.

The "dragon" culture of the rice-growing people

As the most important traditional custom of the Dragon Boat Festival, dragon boat racing is an inevitable part of the discussion when people talk about the Dragon Boat Festival. This custom is said to have originated from the ancient times when Qu Yuan, the patriotic poet of Chu State, threw himself into the river and died. People spontaneously rowed boats to rescue him. Finally, people who could not save Qu Yuan's life began to row dragon boats on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month to commemorate Qu Yuan.

Legends are legends, and historical records are still testable. The custom of dragon boat racing has been formed as early as the Warring States Period. At that time, the ancients rowed canoes carved into the shape of dragons to the sound of drums, and played boat racing games to entertain the gods and people. This is a semi-religious and semi-entertainment program in a sacrificial ceremony. The dragon boat racing game was invented by southerners who were familiar with water, and then gradually spread to the north.

In legend, the dragon is a divine creature that can move wind and rain, and is the cultural worship totem of the southern rice-growing people. When people pray for good weather, they often pray to dragons. In the rural fields of Guangxi, some small waterwheels are called dragon wheels, and water snakes are also called dragon snakes. The life of the rice-growing people is closely related to the meaning of dragon. Therefore, with the development of dragon boat racing today, it is no longer a simple competitive sport. Behind it is people's prayer for a better life, as well as the cultural connotation of unity, cooperation and progress.

Another custom of Nanning people during the Dragon Boat Festival is to take a bath with "dragon boat flowers", that is, collecting artemisia annua, calamus, lemongrass and other herbs to boil water for bathing. In the past, Nanning people would go to the Yongjiang River in the early morning of the Dragon Boat Festival to get "dragon boat water", also called "dragon boat water", for cooking and making medicine.

The Dragon Boat Festival on the Tip of the Tongue

Glutinous rice is regarded as the top grade of rice. In ancient times, it was mostly used in sacrificial activities. Zongzi, which has been passed down as a sacrifice, is very important in the traditional customs of the Dragon Boat Festival. Nanning people’s favorite rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival are a kind of rice dumplings called “cool rice dumplings” or “alkaline water rice dumplings”.

Nanning people have a lot of specialties when making rice dumplings. For example, the bamboo leaves for wrapping the rice dumplings are required to be broad, hairless, and fragrant and cool. The shape of the rice dumplings is generally slender or triangular. There is even a custom of burning the straw into ashes to soak it in water, soaking the glutinous rice in the water and wrapping it into rice dumplings. When eating cold rice dumplings, people like to dip them in honey or white sugar and eat them, which are basically sweet.

Wang Zengqi once introduced it in his article - "Duck Eggs of the Dragon Boat Festival", saying that "Twelve Reds" should be eaten for lunch on the Dragon Boat Festival, among which salted duck eggs are one of them. Firstly, it is said that this red dish can pray for a prosperous life in the future, and secondly, people believe that red items can ward off evil spirits and avoid summer heat.

It can be seen that the folk customs passed down from traditional festivals have their own interpretations. No matter what their respective meanings are, they remain the same and are full of people's expectations and yearning for a better life in the future.

Customs of the Dragon Boat Festival in Guilin, Guangxi

Guilin Dragon Boat Festival Custom 1: Dragon Boat Racing

During the Dragon Boat Festival on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, green dragons are set up at the Lijiang pier. , the colorful gate with yellow dragons and double dragons playing with pearls, red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue and purple balls flying in the air, the river surface is full of joy. The Dragon Boat Festival dragon boat race takes place on the Li River.

Since ancient times, Guilin has had the custom of dragon boat racing of one big steak every ten years and one small steak every five years. In the past, dragon boat rowing not only commemorated Qu Yuan, but also had the meaning of wishing a prosperous year and ward off disasters. Every year of the Dragon Boat Festival, on the first day of the first lunar month, every village and street will hold a "drum opening" ceremony. On the day of "Drum Opening", young people gathered in front of the temples in the village and street, started to fire cannons, beat rowing drums, beat rowing gongs, and sang dragon boat songs. The bustle attracted men, women, old and young from neighboring villages. Come visit and congratulate. The drumming is the signal for dragon boat rowing, and the dragon boat brothers also congratulate each other to enhance friendship. ;