Dragon Boat Festival, regarded with similar significance as other Chinese festivals like Spring Festival, Tomb-Sweeping Day and Mid-Autumn Day, is a very important day to Han people in China and the history of this traditional festival dates back to 2000 years ago.

Dragon Boat Festival is also known as Duanwu Festival, Calamus Festival and Chongwu Festival. The festival occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar of China, that’s why it is also known as Double Fifth Festival. The festival usually falls in June of the western calendar. This year of 2010, the festival falls on 16th of June.

There are plenty of folk activities on this day and the focus of the celebrations includes eating the rice dumpling-zongzi, drinking realgar wine, and racing dragon boats.

History & Legend of the Dragon Boat Festival

There are various versions about the origin of the Double-fifth Festival, and at least ten different ones were sorted out by scholars, among which the most influential version is to reminisce about Qu Yuan (屈原, BC340-BC278).

It is said that Qu Yuan was a poet and a minister in the State of Chu during the Warring States Period (BC475-BC221). At first he won the full confidence and respect of his sovereign, King Huai of the Chu State. But later the king was surrounded by jealous self-seekers, so he ignored Qu Yuan’s advice that the State of Chu ought to unite with the state of Qi to fight against the state of Qin.

As a result, King Huai was tricked into the State of Qin and died there. King Qingxiang of Chu, the eldest son of King Huai, didn’t take revenge.  Instead, he dismissed Qu Yuan from office and sent him into exile as a vagrant. Later the capital of Chu was captured by the troops from Qin. In great agony, Qu Yuan drowned himself in the Miluo River (汨罗江, located in today’s Hunan province) with his wishes to save his beloved country unfulfilled.

Qu Yuan, a poet and political advisor in ancient China, which the origin and history of Dragon Boat Festival is based upon.

The legend claims that the day when Qu Yuan drowned himself in the river was the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. The local people rushed in boats to rescue or search for him. Some of them threw bamboo tubes with rice and other food inside into the river, hoping to feed fish and shrimps lest they should eat away his body. This is said to be the origin of zongzi (rice dumpling).

An old doctor of traditional Chinese Medicine poured the realgar wine into the river to make river dragons drunk, otherwise they would hurt Qu Yuan. 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.

Customs & Activities of Dragon Boat Festival

Dragon Boat Racing

Dragon boat racing is one of the main highlights during the Dragon Boat Festival. This competition is very popular all over China especially in the south.

Dragon boat racing is a popular traditional sport during the festival

A dragon boat is a human-powered boat traditionally made of teak wood to various designs and sizes: from small dragon boats with 10 paddlers, up to the massive traditional boats which can have a capacity of 50 paddlers. It is a long, slim, dragon-like canoe and is often brightly painted and decorated with designs of Chinese dragon heads and tails. The crew use single bladed paddles to drive the boat forward, a method of propulsion common to many other paddled water craft around the world. Every boat usually has one drummer or caller at the bow facing towards the paddlers, and one sweep or helmsman at the rear of the boat.

A dragon boat race usually cover distances over 200m or 250m, 500m, 1000m and 2000m. Before the race starts there is also a series of ceremonies such as worship and awakening the dragon. A fierce battle among the competitors was ignited the moment the competition starts. Bursts of percussion and the cheering from viewers heat the atmosphere up rapidly.

During the sprint, the drummer leads the paddlers throughout a race using the rhythmic drum beat to indicate the frequency and synchronicity of all the paddlers’ strokes (that is, the cadence, picking up or accelerating the pace, slowing the rate, etc.) The drummer may issue commands to the crew through a combination of hand signals and voice calls, and also generally exhorts the crew to perform at their peak. The drummer may be considered the “heartbeat” of the dragon boat.

Nowadays, dragon boat racing is a worldwide sport. Modern dragon boat racing is organised at an international level by the International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF). IDBF International Standard Racing Boat has a Crew of 22, consisting of 20 paddlers, one Drummer and a Helm (Steerer).

Dragon boat racing has since become an Internationally practised sport

Eating zongzi

Eating zongzi is an essential activity of the Dragon Boat Festival. This kind of traditional Chinese food is made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves.

It is said that as early as the Spring and Autumn Period(BC 770- BC 476),the earliest form of zongzi: Tongzong(筒粽) and Jiaoshu(角黍) came into existence. The former was made of rice in the bamboo tubes while the latter was made of the broomcorn millet wrapped in leaves in cow-horn shapes. With the evolution over many dynasties, Zongzi is seen in various shapes with a variety of fillings.

The shape of zongzi ranges from being relatively tetrahedral in southern Chinese to cylindrical in northern Chinese. Wrapping a zongzi neatly is a skill which is passed down through families, as are the recipes.

The many types and flavours of zongzi

Zongzi comes in many types and flavours. The more traditional ones includes savoury rice dumpling with fillings like meat, mushroom, salted eggs and nuts. The sweeter versions may have red bean or a plain rice dumpling which is usually dipped in honey or sugar before every bite.

Different fillings give the dumpling different tastes. Mung beans, red bean paste, jujubes, Chinese sausage, red-cooked pork, dried shrimp, dark’s egg yolk and so on are very common ingredients in zongzi recipe.

While making a zongzi with red-cooked pork filling, the glutinous rice in the recipe is commonly dipped in soy sauce beforehand making the zongzi tastier, complimenting the filling better and giving it its distinctive brownish color.

Zongzi need to be steamed or boiled for several minutes depending on how the rice is made prior to adding the fillings. Usually, 20 minutes will be sufficient. Once cooked, the zongzi can easily be frozen for later consumption. While Zongzi is a daily food product that is available in many Chinese markets throughout the year, during this Dragon Boat Festival, Zongzi becomes very popular. Being synonymous with the festival, many families will buy or even home-make Zongzi as part of a Chinese tradition.

Standing the egg

An interesting and fun custom during this festival is to make eggs ‘stand up’.

In the Lunar Calendar, June is the ‘Horse month’, while the ‘Horse hour’ is from 11:00 AM to 13:00 PM. The Dragon Boat festival being in June, it is traditionally believed that you will be lucky for the coming year if you can make an egg standing up during Horse hour on day of the festival. It is said that it will be easier to make an egg stand up at noon.

This feat seemed quite a phenomenon and people looked for the scientific explanation. It seems an egg can stay ‘standing up’ because the Dragon Boat Festival is close to the summer solstice, which is the longest day of the year. The summer solstice occurs when the Earth’s axis tilts the most toward the sun, causing the sun to be farthest north at noon. During the day and especially at noon, the gravitation between sun and earth pulling at each other are the strongest, hence explaining the phenomenon.

Try making an egg stand during the noon of Dragon Boat Festival! It may amuse you and your friend and bring you good luck for the coming year!

The Balmy Bag

Children often hang a small balmy bag on their necks on this day. It‘s believed that if you carry the small spice balmy bag around with you, it not only drives away evil spirits but also brings fortune and happiness to those who wear it.

The small bags are hand-made by local craftsmen. They‘re made with colourful silk, fine satin or cotton. Figures of animals, flowers and fruits are often embroidered onto the bags and inside are mixed Chinese herbal medicines which send out the charming flavour.

Happy Dragon Boat Festival !

In recent years, the Dragon Boat Festival has been restored in China as an official national holiday. 14^th, 15^th, 16^th in June are the holidays in 2010. If you have a chance to tour around China during then, join us in the fun!

Learn Some Mandarin

Yā suì qián and traditional Red Packet

The Chinese have a custom of using Red Packets (with money inside) as a gift for special occasions. A Red Packet is a rectangular (sometimes square) paper envelope usually red in color, and often with auspicious wordings or pictures printed on it. The Red Packet (红包：hóng bāo) is also sometimes known as Ang Pow/Ang Pao or (利是: lì shì) (or pronounced as ‘Lai See’ in Cantonese).

During Chinese New Year， the elders will give Red Packets to the unmarried younger folks as part of the festive celebration customs. Read more about Chinese New Year Customs. Red Packets are also given on wedding dinners to the married couple, and sometimes as gifts on birthdays.

The act of giving Red Packets is a joyous one. It symbolizes the sharing of happiness and the giving of well-wishes.

The Red Packet originated from 压岁钱 yā suì qián which were copper coin threaded together with a red string in the Qing Dynasty. As printing became more common, simple red envelopes were printed with auspicious Chinese phrases. Today, the customs of giving and receiving Red Packets are still practiced. The designs on these little red envelopes get more and more fanciful and innovative every year.

Current Designs of Red Packets

5 Red Packets series designed to form a complete picture when placed together

Nowadays, Red Packets don’t have to conform to only red-coloured envelopes and bold golden writings.

assorted designs

Brands on Red Packets

Chinese New Year being the biggest festive season for the Chinese, many brands and companies see this as an opportunity to do a little marketing, providing their self-designed Red Packets for their customers.

a Red Packet conceptual design for Microsoft

It is a common practice for banks to give out Red Packet envelopes for their customers

m&ms chocolates Red Packet Design

A Red Packet from Mac Donald's

Festive with No boundaries

Chinese New Year is celebrated regardless of religion or race.

Red Packet printed with a Christian Bible verse of thanksgiving

Roaring Tigers on Envelopes

Very often, Chinese Zodiac animals appear on Red Packet designs. This year 2010, the Chinese Zodiac animal is the Tiger.

2010 - Year of the Tiger

Tigers wishing you a Happy New Year and Good Health and Luck

Cute Cartoon Designs

Since most of the Red Packets are given to the younger generations during Chinese New Year, many Red Packets are designed with colourful and cute characters to appeal to them.

Popular cartoon characters on Red Packet designs

Hello Kitty cartoon designs on Red Packets

cute cat illustration

fanciful Red Packet design - cartoon baby girl in a tiger costume

Animated Ang Pow

The creativity of Red Packet Designs are limitless! Look at these animated Red Packets in action.

Unique Red Packet Designs

It is simply impossible to show you all the fancy and interesting Red Packet designs out there. For both kids and adults each year, one of the fun comes from seeing and collecting new and unique Red Packets.

Here are some not so traditional designs:

iLearn Culture wishes you a Happy New Year! May you receive lots of Red Packets this festive season!

]]> http://ilearn-culture.com/traditions/festivals-customs/red-packet-designs/feed/ 7 http://ilearn-culture.com/traditions/festivals-customs/chinese-new-year-goodies/ http://ilearn-culture.com/traditions/festivals-customs/chinese-new-year-goodies/#comments Thu, 11 Feb 2010 03:46:09 +0000 Lisa Ma http://ilearn-culture.com/?p=3133

Traditional Chinese New Year Food is a symbol of prosperity, good luck, health and long life for everyone at the table. Each and every food, either by its appearance or the pronunciation of its name, symbolizes age old Chinese beliefs. Traditional Chinese New Year Food like dumplings, spring rolls, wishes good things for the coming year.

Given below are some of the Traditional Chinese New Year goodies.

1.    Jiao Zi

Delicious Jiaozi dumplings are considered lucky because of their resemblance to ancient Chinese currency. In ancient times, Chinese currency consisted of dumpling-shaped silver and gold ingots called yuan bao. The dumplings symbolize wealth and hopes for a profitable future.

In northern China, it is customary for families to spend the hours before Chinese New Year preparing these tasty dumplings, which are eaten just after midnight.

In addition to Chinese New Year, many families prepare jiaozi for other special occasions such as birthdays, sending a family member away, or even for western holidays such as Christmas or Thanksgiving.

2.    Spring Rolls

Spring rolls symbolize wealth and prosperity, since their colour and shape is similar to a gold bar. Originally, spring rolls were filled with vegetables in celebration of the coming of Spring; shrimp and barbecued pork were added later.

3.    Har Gow dumplings

Although not a traditional New Year food, dumplings of all types are enjoyed more frequently during the New Year season. Har Gow are the steamed shrimp dumplings with the translucent wrapper (the secret ingredient that makes the outside wrapping so shiny is wheat starch).

4.    Sesame Balls

These delicious large balls of glutinous rice flour, filled with sweet red bean paste and rolled in sesame seeds, are especially popular during the Chinese New Year season. What makes sesame balls special is the way they expand during deep-frying. According to Chinese tradition, this symbolizes the way your luck may expand throughout the New Year.

5.    Cakes

Cakes have a special place in Chinese New Year celebrations. Their sweetness symbolizes a rich, sweet life, while the layers symbolize rising abundance for the coming year. Finally, the round shape signifies family reunion.

In south China, the favorite and most typical dishes were nian gao, sweet steamed glutinous rice pudding.  In the southern regions of China and Hong Kong, common celebration dishes are turnip cake and new year cake.

Traditionally, these were made in the home and then given to relatives as a token of love and respect, though the abundance of ready-made turnip and new year cakes in supermarkets and restaurants means that the laborious process of making these new year foods at home has largely been eliminated.

In the north, steamed-wheat bread (man tou) and small meat dumplings were the preferred food. The tremendous amount of food prepared at this time was meant to symbolize abundance and wealth for the household.

6.    Apple

Fruits can be tasty as well as expressive. In China, it’s not uncommon, especially around New Year, to find these fruits with natural writing on them. This is usually called fa cai guo meaning lucky or fortune fruits. Growers simply tape a stenciled sticker over the fruit before they’re matured to block out light and thus create a natural design.

7.    Pomelo and Orange

Pomelos symbolize abundance and prosperity. For newlyweds, this represents the branching of the couple into a family with many children.

Tangerines and oranges, symbols of abundance happiness, are a must gift item when visiting family or friends during the two-week long New Year celebration. Tangerines with leaves intact assure that one’s relationship with the other remains secure.

8.    Togetherness Tray

When visiting relatives, it’s customary for them to offer guests tea, along with a round or octagonal tray filled with a variety of treats, from nuts to sweets. This is known as the Tray of Togetherness. Traditionally, the tray was made of wood, with eight interior dishes of porcelain, but nowadays many people opt for plastic.

The tray usually contains an inner set of eight compartments to help keep the goodies separated. Each compartment is filled with a special symbolic food:

• Candy Melon (growth and good health)
• Coconut (unity)
• Kumquat (gold; for prosperity)
• Longan (many good sons)
• Lotus Seeds (fertility)
• Lychee Nut (close family relationships)
• Peanuts (longevity)
• Red Melon Seeds (red; for happiness, joy, honesty and sincerity)

Vocabulary:
jiǎo zī
饺   子    dumpling      n.

chūn juǎn
春        卷     spring roll   n.

zhēng jiǎo
蒸        饺   Har Gow      n.

mán tóu
馒      头      steamed-wheat bread   n.

píng guǒ
苹      果     apple          n.

yòu zi
柚    子    pomelo         n.

jú zi
橘 子        orange         n.

Chinese New Year is more than just the delicious snacks

Chinese New Year or Spring Festival is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is sometimes called the Lunar New Year, especially by people outside China. The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th; this day is called Lantern Festival.

This year of 2010, the first day of Chinese New Year coincidentally falls on 14th February Valentine’s Day.

The Spring Festival is the most important festival for the Chinese people and is when all family members get together, just like Christmas in the West. All people living away from home go back, becoming the busiest time for transportation systems of about half a month from the Spring Festival.

Bright and red decorations can be seen in homes and malls

Many customs accompany the Spring Festival. Some are still followed today.

House Cleaning

The entire house should be cleaned before New Year’s Day. On New Year’s Eve, all brooms, brushes, dusters, dust pans and other cleaning equipment are put away. Sweeping or dusting should not be done on New Year’s Day for fear that good fortune will be swept away. After New Year’s Day, the floors may be swept. Beginning at the door, the dust and rubbish are swept to the middle of the parlor, then placed in the corners and not taken or thrown out until the fifth day. At no time should the rubbish in the corners be trampled upon. In sweeping, there is a superstition that if you sweep the dirt out over the front entrance, you will sweep one of the family away. Also, to sweep the dust and dirt out of your house by the front entrance is to sweep away the good fortune of the family; it must always be swept inwards and then carried out, then no harm will follow. All dirt and rubbish must be taken out the back door.

Houses are decorated and new year snacks are prepared for visitors

Reunion dinner

A reunion dinner is held on Chinese New Year’s Eve (known as Chúxī) where members of the family, near and far away, get together for the celebration. The venue will usually be in or near the home of the most senior member of the family. The New Year’s Eve dinner is very sumptuous and traditionally includes chicken and fish. In some areas, fish (simplified Chinese: 鱼; traditional Chinese: 魚; pinyin: yú) is included, but not eaten completely (and the remainder is stored overnight), as the Chinese phrase “may there be surpluses every year” (traditional Chinese: 年年有餘; simplified Chinese: 年年有余; pinyin: nián nián yǒu yú) sounds the same as “may there be fish every year.”

Reunion dinner dishes

Red packets

Traditionally, Red envelopes or red packets are passed out during the Chinese New Year’s celebrations, from married couples or the elderly to unmarried juniors. It is also common for adults or young couples to give red packets to children. Red packets are also known as Ya Sui Qian, literally, the money used to suppress or put down the evil spirit during this period.

Red packets almost always contain money, usually varying from a couple of dollars to several hundred. Per custom, the amount of money in the red packets should be of even numbers, as odd numbers are associated with cash given during funerals One exception is the number four as it is considered bad luck, because the word for four is a homophone for death, money in red envelopes never adds up to $4. However, the number 8 is considered lucky (for its homophone for “wealth”), and $8 is commonly found in the red envelopes. Sometimes chocolate coins are found in the red packets.

Chinese New Year Red Packets

Burning crackers

Burning crackers was once the most typical custom on the Spring Festival. People thought the spluttering sound could help drive away evil spirits. However, such an activity was completely or partially forbidden in big cities once the government took security, noise and pollution factors into consideration. As a replacement, some buy tapes with firecracker sounds to listen to, some break little balloons to get the sound too, while others buy firecracker handicrafts to hang in the living room.

Fire Crackers are used to celebrate the occasion with a blast!

Decorative Fire Crackers to spice up your home deco.

Everyone, young and old, rich and poor, looks forward to celebrating the noisiest, most joyous and longest festival of the year. For Chinese at home and abroad, the Spring Festival is always the most important festival.

During Chinese New Year, exchanges of auspicious greetings is a common custom. Take a look at some of the popular Chinese New Year Auspicious Greeting!

2010 is the Tiger Year, here are some Auspicious Greetings specific to the Tiger Year!

Learn Mandarin Words

chūn jié 春 节	spring festival,chinese new year
chú xī 除 夕	Chinese new year eve
dà sǎochú 大 扫 除	house cleaning
nián yè fàn 年 夜 饭	reunion dinner
hóng bāo 红 包	red packets
fàng biān pào 放 鞭 炮	burning firecrackers

The Tiger is the third sign in the cycle of Chinese Zodiac, which consists of 12 animal signs.  It is a sign of courageous, active, and self-assured.  People who are born in the Year of Tiger are generally optimistic, passionate and independent. They also have traits of rebellious, dynamic, and unpredictable. They are quick tempered but considerate, affectionate but careless.

The Tiger is a natural born leader and symbolizes power, passion and daring. This fearless and fiery fighter is revered by the ancient Chinese as the sign that wards off the three main disasters of a household: fire, thieves and ghosts.

Previously we posted an article on Chinese New Year Customs and some popular Chinese New Year Greetings.

Here are some Chinese New Year Greetings about Tiger that may come in handy this festive season!

虎年大吉  hǔ nián dà jí

Good Luck in the Year of Tiger

虎运连年  hǔ yùn lián nián

As lucky as the Tiger year after year

虎虎生威，虎年更猛  hǔ hǔ shēng wēi, hǔ nián gèng měng

To prosper with fury like a tiger and be successful in the Year of Tiger

福虎凌云  fú hǔ líng yún

Reach out to the clouds and soar into the sky with the Lucky Tiger

瑞虎丰年  ruì hǔ fēng nián

Lucky Tiger brings you a good harvest.

福虎贺岁 fú hǔ hè suì

Lucky Tiger welcomes a brand New Year

虎啸祥瑞 hǔ xiào xiáng ruì

Tiger roars and calls for a lucky New Year

虎年如意 hǔ nián rú yì

Things going as you planned in the Tiger Year

虎气冲天  hǔ qì chōng tiān

A great Tiger Year ahead!

With that, iLearn’s here to wish you a Happy Tiger Year, best wishes & prosperity for 2010.

This year’s Chinese New Year happens to fall on 14th February Valentine’s Day. During Chinese New Year, we exchange auspicious greetings with family and friends.

Whether you are celebrating with that special loved one or with family and friends, here are some Chinese New Year Greetings that may come in handy this festive season!

Xīn Nián Kuài Lè 新年快乐

xin-nian-kuai-le(audio)

Happy New Year !

.

Jí Xiáng Rú Yì 吉祥如意

ji-xiang-ru-yi(audio)

May Luck comes and things go with your plans

.

The auspicious words are imprinted onto apples, where some families will place as decorations in homes. Apple (苹píng) is symbolic of peace (平píng) to the Chinese, due to similiar pronounciation. Talking about fruits, the orange is a prayer or wish for good fortune and hence during Chinese New Year, they are commonly exchanged amongst visiting relatives and friends on house visits together with auspicious greetings.

Gōng Xǐ Fā Cái 恭喜发财

gong-xi-fa-cai(audio)

Congratulations and Grow Rich

.

Cái Yuán Guǎng Jìn 财源广进

cai-yuan-guang-jin(audio)

Lots of Fortune to come!

.

Suì Suì Píng Ān 岁岁平安

Everlasting Peace Year After Year!

You will often hear the Chinese say this out loud immediately after something is accidentally broken in the house. The word 岁 (Suì, meaning “age”) is homophonous with 碎 (meaning “shatter”). Hence giving something seemingly unlucky an auspicious meaning.

.

Cái Yuán Gǔn Gǔn Lái 财源滚滚来

cai-yuan-gun-gun-lai(audio)

Fortune comes rolling in!

.

this character is not a real word. It is a juxtaposition of the 4 characters of zhāo cái jìn bǎo. It is often written in calligraphy and pasted as auspicious home decorations.

Zhāo Cái Jìn Bǎo招财进宝

zhao-cai-jin-bao(audio)

Bring and Attract money and treasures!

.

An up-side-down 'Fú' - symbolising the coming of fortune.

Fú Dào Le 福到了

fu-dao-le(audio)

Come Fortune and Happiness!

This is more of an auspicious symbol than a greeting. The word ‘Fú’ (fortune/ happiness) is often hung upside down as decoration on walls because ‘upside down’ and ‘come’ (or arriving) are both pronounced as ‘Dào’ in mandarin. May this auspicious symbol will bring you lots of Fortune and Happiness this new year!

Read more about Chinese New Year Customs!

Being the Tiger year of 2010, here are some Auspicious New Year Greetings associated with the roaring Tiger!

Laba Festival is celebrated on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month. La in Chinese means the 12th lunar month and ba means eight. The majority Han Chinese have long followed the tradition of eating Laba rice porridge on that day since Song dynasty about 900 years ago.

Legends about the origin of this festivity abound. The most popular one is that Sakyamuni, the first Buddha and founder of Buddhism, attained enlightenment on the eighth day of the twelfth month. Sutras were chanted in the temples and rice porridge with beans, nuts and dried fruit was prepared for the Buddha. With the passing of time the custom extended, especially in rural areas where peasants would pray for a plentiful harvest in this way.

Nowadays, large Buddhism temples still offer it to Buddhists to show their faith to Buddha on laba.

Laba porridge is made with local specialties. In different regions there are different ingredients in addition to the rice. Actually eight ingredients (or more) are used, cooked with sugar (or salt).

Here is one classic recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of rice or glutinous rice;
• red beans, millet, Chinese sorghum, peas, dried lotus seeds, red beans, dried dates, walnut meat each 1/10 cup(if you can not find these ingredients you can use other nuts, dried fruits and beans instead);
• Sugar (crystal sugar is better);
• 10 cups of water.

Method:

1. Before cooking, clean rice and eight ingredients and dip them separately in cold water for 5 hours;

2. Put rice and eight ingredients into a deep pot;

3. Add 10 cups of water and sugar;

4. Turn on the fire and make sure the flame is high, put the lid on;

5. When it is boiled, turn down the fire and take off the lid;

6. Let the porridge simmer until it begins to emit a very delicious smell, add some sugar you’d like;

7. Turn off the fire when porridge becomes sticky.

Laba porridge is not only easy to prepare, but also a nutritious winter food because it contains amino acids, protein and other vitamins people need. Cooked nuts and dried fruit are good for smoothing nerves, nourishing one’s heart and vitality, and strengthening the spleen. Enjoy!

Vocabulary:

là bā  jié
腊   八 节        Laba Festival         n.

là bā zhōu
腊 八 粥          Laba rice porridge    n.

sù mǐ
粟 米                Millet                    n.

gāo liáng
高      梁          Chinese sorghum    n.

wān dòu
豌   豆               Peas                   n.

lián zǐ
莲   子             Dried lotus seeds    n.

dà zǎo
大   枣             Dried dates            n.

hé táo rén
核   桃   仁      walnut meat           n.

The word “nadaam” means game or competition in Mongolian. Competitions take place days on the first two and merry-making is reserved for the third. The Naadam festival has been held for centuries as a form of memorial celebration, as an annual sacrificial ritual honoring various mountain gods or to celebrate a community endeavor.

The festivities kick off with a colorful parade of athletes, monks, soldiers marching in perfect uniformity, musicians performing powerful military tunes, and Mongolians dressed in Chinggis-style warrior uniforms. It is the most widely watched festival in the country, and is believed to have existed for centuries in one fashion or another.

Some colourful pictures of this event for your viewing!

Sulde, symbolizes Mongolian pride. It is Genghis Khan’s weapon in warring history. To worship the sulde, to memorial the Mongolian spirit.

Matouqin, Mongolian musical instrument be named as its has a horse head on top.

Naadam is the most widely watched festival in Inner mongolia, and is believed to have existed for centuries in one fashion or another. Naadam has its origin in the activities, such as military parades and sporting competitions such as archery, horse riding and wrestling, that followed the celebration of various occasions.

Wrestling

Wrestlers compete on the green field of the State Central Stadium where 512 wrestlers meet in a single-elimination tournament that lasts nine or ten rounds. In this competition, there is no time limit, no weight category. Wrestler lose if they touch the ground.

Wrestlers wear two-piece costumes consisting of a tight shoulder vest (zodog) and shorts (shuudag). Only men are allowed to play. Each wrestler has an “encourager” called a zasuul, whose task is to take minute care of every detail during a tournament. The zasuul sings a song of praise for the winning wrestler after rounds 3, 5, and 7.

Winners of the 7th, 8th and 9th stage earn the title of zann which means elephants.  The winner of the 9th or 10th stage, is called arslan, “lion”. In the final competition, all the “zasuuls” drop in the wake of each wrestler as they take steps toward each other. Two time arslans are called the champions, or the “avrag”.

Horse
It’s impossible to imagine the Mongolians without their horses as they have a high regard for horses since, for centuries, they have relied on them for transport, sustenance, and companionship.

There are 6 different categories of Mongol national horse racing depending on the age of horses. The riders, both boys and girls are aged between 5-12 and the distance of the race ranges from 15-30 km. Horses race on natural track and natural barriers. The training of horses takes several months. A key to endurance are an empty stomach and the capacity to dissipate heat. For the first, horses are kept on a sophisticated diet while for the latter they have to gallop miles up-hill covered with woolen blankets etc.

After the races, the top five horses in each class earn the title of “airgiyn tav” and the top three are given gold, silver, and bronze medals. In addition, the losing two-year-old horse is is given a top-five award, in the belief that that horse will do better in the next race and is allotted special attention by being serenaded with a song. Music is very important before the race too, as the audience sings traditional songs and the the jockeys sing a pre-race song called a gingo.

A day at the races is very much a feast. If it is a Naadam in the countryside, people will usually enjoy quantities of fresh white cheese, tea with milk and salt, sometimes accompanied by various kinds of doughnuts. The winning horses get their share, too. They are decorated and sprinkled with koumyss, a kind of fermented mare’s milk, while the very last horse gets to hear a song wishing more luck in the following year.

Archery
There’s no need to argue on that the Mongolians are the best archers in the world.

Archery, originating from time immemorial, is the oldest sport of the Mongols. Traditionally, this was only men’s sport but nowadays both men and women compete in separate divisions. Male archers shoot on a 75m range while female archers shoot on a 60 m range.

The sport of archery originated around the 11th century, during the time of Khanate warfare. Contestants dress in traditional costumes and use a bent bow constructed of horn, bark, and wood. The arrows, made from willow branches and vulture feathers are shot at round, leather targets with grey, yellow or red rings. Bows and arrows have remained much the same over centuries, are made of natural materials and do not have any of the technical features now popular among marksmen in western countries.

The winners of the contest are granted the titles of “National marksman” and “National markswoman”. Age counts positively since it is not force but experience and eyesight that make winners. It is no wonder, then, that many participants are men in their 40s and 50s.

The Naadam Festival is the major Mongolian holiday and a wonderful time to experience the culture and people of this amazing land. The festival has its roots in the nomad wedding assemblies and hunting extravaganzas of the Mongol Army.

The opening ceremony features marches and music from soldiers, monks and athletes before the real fun begins! In the Naadam Stadium the three sporting passions of Mongolians, horse racing, wrestling and archery, are played out over 2 days. But if you don’t want to watch sport all the time, there’s plenty to see and do outside – food, music, crafts or just people watching.

Once you have had your fill of the sports, people watching and local food and culture, you can go to the Gobi desert to visit sand dunes and the land of dinosaurs with some of the most spectacular sunsets you will ever see. This is the best time to see the Mongolian people and soak up the party atmosphere!

Travel to Mongolia and see Great Naadam festival of Mongolia!

Water is regarded as a symbol of holiness, goodness and brightness by the Dai  people. The water splashing onto each other symbolizes good wishes.

The Water Splashing Festival falls during the New Year of the Dai Calendar. It is the most important festival observed by the Dai ethnic group in Xishuangbanna in southwestern China’s Yunnan Province. The festival is similar to Thailand’s Songkran, three days of festive activities in which everybody gets doused with water.

The festival usually lasts for three days. In the first two days, Dai people hold dragon boat race to ring out the old year and usher in the new year. The third day is for water splashing and is the climax of the festival. On that day, Dai people put on their new ethnic clothes and assemble at a local Buddhist temple, where they listen to the chanting of Buddhist scripture.

Afterward, a Buddhist statue is coaxed out to the temple yard with pomp and ceremony, where it is splashed. The ritual is called bathing the Buddha. People then go to the streets, joyfully joining in a battle of water splashing onto each other.

About Xishuangbanna
Xishuangbanna takes on the look and atmosphere of a typical South Asian region, characterized by a diverse folklore, lush tropical rain forests, and many species of rare plants and wildlife. Xishuangbanna is also home to the Dai minority people, whose interesting and colorful traditions are well represented through their lifestyle and native modes of dressing.

Is is an ancient and mysterious, beautiful and colorful land displays its charisma to you like a green peacock displaying its fine tail feathers. You will be intoxicated by its sight and nationality customs when you visit.

Yunnan Province, due to its beautiful landscapes, mild climate and colorful ethnic minorities, is one of China’s major tourist destinations.

Origin
Like many festivals, the Mid-Autumn festival came to its current traditions through many years of evolution. The history of Mid-Autumn festival in China can be dated back to around 500 BC where the term “Mid-Autumn” was found mentioned in a classic written by Confucius.

Ancient Emperors in China followed a custom of praying to the Sun in Summer and to the Moon in Autumn. This custom was later adopted by the royalties and scholars and eventually by the commoners too, hence becoming a mass tradition. By the Tang dynasty (A.D. 618 – 907) this tradition became officially stated as a festival. It gain popularity during the Song dynasty (A.. 960 – 1279) and by Ming dynasty (A.D. 1368 – 1644) became as popular and important as the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year).

Legends
The Mid-Autumn festival has many rich and ancient legends associated with it. These mythical tales enrich the festive atmosphere with interesting stories and histories and also adding a weave of mystery behind it.

Chang Er and the Jade Rabbit

Legend of the Chang Er (嫦娥奔月 : cháng é bēn yuè)
Of the many legends, the one on Chang er is the most famous. There are a few versions of the story on how Chang er ended up on the moon. Below is one popular version.

Hou Yi the archer

Legend goes that in ancient China, the sky suddenly appeared ten Suns. The ten scorching suns burnt the lands, ruining crops and drying rivers. Just as the situation was at its direst and all seemed lost for the people on earth, a hero appeared. His name was Hou Yi. With his bow and arrows, he ascended the peak of Kun Lun Mountain and using his mighty strength and godly archery skills, he shot down nine of the suns.

The land and its people were saved from the catastrophe and Hou Yi became honoured as a saviour. Many people came to become his archery disciplines, but among his students, there was a cunning and devious man called Peng Meng.

Soon Hou Yi married Chang Er, a beautiful and kind girl. Other than teaching archery classes, Hou Yi spent his time with Chang Er and they were much adored and admired as a loving pair of couple.

One day, as Hou Yi was travelling to Kun Lun Mountain to visit a friend, he chanced upon the Jade Empress, a heavenly goddess. To the Jade Empress, he requested and was given the pill of immortality, which was able to transform a moral into a deity.

Chang Er flying up to the moon

Hou Yi was reluctant to leave his wife alone on earth however and passed the pill of immortality to Chang Er for safekeeping. The devious Peng Meng overheard about the pill and wanted it for his selfish means. Whilst Hou Yi was out hunting with his other disciplines, Peng Meng stormed into their house with a sword in his hand and demanded Chang Er to give him the pill of immortality. Unable to fight against Peng Meng and afraid that he would use the pill for evil purposes, Chang Er swallowed the immortality pill.

Immediately, Chang Er became light and started to float out the window. She flew up the sky beyond her control. As she flew higher and further from earth, she yearned badly to see her husband again. Hence, seeing the moon being the nearest heavenly land from earth, Chang Er landed and stayed on the moon.

When Hou Yi came back in the evening and knew of the incident, he was extremely upset. Dashing out to the backyard garden, he yelled out his wife’s name in sadness. Suddenly, he noticed that the moon was brighter than normal and he could notice a familiar shadow moving on the moon, much resembling his beloved wife, Chang Er.

Hou Yi realized that Chang Er had become a deity on moon. He set up an incense altar below the moonlight and placed her favourite fruits and snacks as a memorial for Chang Er. Word spread that Chang Er has become the moon deity and people have since every Mid-Autumn place offerings and pray to the moon for the kind-hearted Chang Er to grant peace and happiness to them.

'Jade Rabbit' on the moon surface

There are several versions to the story. One claims that the rabbit is in fact Chang Er herself. One says that Hou Yi transformed into Chang Er’s favourite animal, a white rabbit to keep her company on the moon. And another mentioned a rabbit fairy, sympathizing on Chang Er’s plight, sent his youngest daughter to keep her company. Below is yet another version.

In this legend, three gods descended on earth and disguised themselves as three pitiful old men. They met fox, monkey and rabbit and asked them to spare them some food. Both the fox and monkey did so.

However, the rabbit had no food, hence it told the three old men to eat itself. Shortly after, it jumped into the fire. The gods were greatly moved and made the rabbit live immortally in the moon palace.

No matter what version the story is, the jade rabbit’s task on moon was to pound and create the pills of immortality. It is also sometimes said that Chang Er, missing dearly her husband on Earth, asks Wu Gang the woodcutter (with his wood for fuel or ingredient) and the Jade Rabbit to help create a magical pill to allow her to fly back to earth to reunite with Hou Yi.

Wu Gang

Also stuck on the moon, Wu Gang is made to chop down an osmanthus tree in the moon palace by the Jade Emperor. However, this tree magically heals itself from any damage and hence it has become an eternal punishment for Wu Gang to chop on the tree that never falls.

Another version tells of Wu Gang as the protector of the osmanthus tree on moon. And it was he who handed down the seeds of the tree to earth. Without him, the humans would have no osmanthus trees to make the fragrant osmanthus tea and osmanthus flavoured wine.

The 1st one is based on the story of Chang Er. Yearning to meet her husband again, Chang Er instructed Hou Yi to, on the day of full moon, create a pill made of flour, as round as the moon. He was to place this flour pill at the west side of the house and call out her name. As promised, on the night of full moon, Chang Er flew down to reunite with him once every Mid-Autumn. The mooncake tradition then evolved from there.

Zhu Yuan Zhang Mooncake Rebellion (朱元璋与月饼起义 : zhū yuán zhāng yǔ yuè bǐng qǐ yì)

Pastry mooncake with secret message inside

The 2nd tale is set in the late Yuan Dynasty (A.D. 1279 – 1368). This is a famous legend about Zhu Yuan Zhang who gathered the masses to rebel against the tyrannical Yuan government. However, the Yuan soldiers conducted stringent checks which made communication among the rebel groups difficult.

Liu Bo Wen, his strategist, then came up with an idea. He instructed the writing of”八月十五夜起义” (Rebellion on the 15th day of the 8th month) on slips of paper which were then stuffed into pastries. These boxes of pastries with the secret message on the date of rebellion were sent to the ally forces without notice from the Yuan soldiers.

On the fateful day (which is set on the Mid-Autumn day), Zhu Yuan Zhang led a successful rebellion and founded the Ming Dynasty. Since then celebrations on the Mid-Autumn Festivals included these mooncake pastries to commemorate the event.

However, the corpse of the python mysteriously disappeared and soon an epidemic of plague engulfed the village, killing many of the people. A priest then came. He explained that the python was originally the son of the Sea Dragon. The death of his son angered the Sea Dragon so much that he brought forth the disaster upon the village and its people.

An old man from the village claimed that a heavenly deity came to his dream and taught him how to counter the Sea Dragon’s spells. He was told that the Sea Dragon feared the Fire Dragon and fire element the most and hence for three consecutive nights on Mid-Autumn festival, a Fire Dragon Dance is held.

Fire Dragon Dance

In this dance, a dragon head with a long segmented dragon body and a tail is controlled by several dancers. The dragon structure is stuck all over with lit red coloured incense sticks to symbolize the fire element. After the dance, the plague was controlled. And since then, the tradition of the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance during every Mid-Autumn festival lived on even til now.

Regardless how true the legends are, as you savour your mooncakes and enjoy the full moon scenery, these traditional stories will make good tales to entertain your family and friends.

Related Posts:

- The Customs of Mid-Autumn Festival