Today is the Dragon Boat Festival. On the occasion of the Dragon Boat Festival, may we extend to you and your family our sincere greetings. We sincerely wish you and your family happiness, cheerfulness. And we would like to take this opportunity to extend to everyone at your esteemed company, our compliments for the good festival and our very best wishes for your perfect health.
The Dragon Boat Festival combines sports and an ancient celebration.
The festival is also known as Tuen Ng and commemorates the death of one China’s national heroes: Qu Yuan.
Qu Yuan, a poet who served as a minister to the Zhou rulers during the Warring States, is said to have fought against the rampant corruption he saw in the government and thereby gained the enmity of other ministers. When he advised the Zhou kings to avoid conflict with the Qin, the other officials pressured the king to remove him from his post.
Some versions of the legend say he drowned himself in the Milou River as a personal protest against the government corruption. Others say that exiled from his beloved home, he travelled and taught for several years until he learned that the Zhou had engaged and been defeated by the Qin. Then, in despair, he drowned himself. Whatever the truth, the people apparently loved him greatly and the fishermen rushed out in long boats, beating drums to scare away the fish. They threw zong zi (a traditional rice ball wrapped and steamed in bamboo leaves) into the water to feed the braver fish so that they would not nibble at Qu Yuan’s body.
Dragon Boat
Today, Zong Zi is a traditional festival food and the excitements of the races fill Dragon Boat Day. The boats are generally brightly painted and decorated canoes. Ranging anywhere from 40 to 100 feet in length, their heads are shaped like open-mouthed dragons, while the sterns end with a scaly tail. Depending on the length, up to 80 rowers can power the boat. A drummer and flag-catcher stand at the front of the boat. Before a dragon boat enters competition, it must be “brought to life” by painting the eyes in a sacred ceremony. Races can have any number of boats competing, with the winner being the first team to grab a flag at the end of the course.
Happy Dragon Boat Festival to everybody and enjoy the holiday!
