Welcome back! Do you think the weather is getting hotter and hotter? Yes, summer is here!
In summer, there is an important tradition for Chinese people: the Dragon Boat festival. The Dragon boat Festival happens on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. During the festival, people eat rice dumplings and row dragon boats. The rice dumplings are delicious and the dragon boat competitions are exciting. Do you know where the Dragon Boat festival came from?
According to legend, the Dragon Boat Festival is to commemorate the poet Qu Yuan. Qu Yan was very loyal to his country and the people.However, the king listened to a treacherous court official, so he was banished from the country, Qu Yan was very sad and unhappy, so he jumped into the Miluo river with stone tied to him. The people of the state were very sad when they found so they went to the Miluo river to pay tribute to Qu Yuan. The people rowed boats back and forth in the Miluo river, hoping to find Qu Yan’s body for burial. In order to prevent Qu Yan’s body from being eaten by the fish and shrimp in the river, the people prepared bamboo leaves wrapped in rice and put it into the river for the fish and shrimp to eat. Since then, the act became the tradition of rowing dragon boats and eating rice dumplings, or Zongzi on the Dragon Boat festival.
Another legend of the Dragon Boat festival is the legend of the White Snake. In the Song dynasty, there were two snake spirits who had been practicing for thousands of years, Bai-Suzhen and XiaoQing. One day in a bright spring, the two sisters went down the mountain to play int the West Lake. Suddenly, it rained and they both got wet. Just as they were looking for a place to hide from the rain, a scholar handed over an umbrella. Bai-Suzhen looked at the scholar and felt a familiarity. As it turns out, the scholar had saved her in her previous life.
Bai-Suzhen said: Thank you so much. What is your name?
The scholars answered: “My name is Xu Xian. I live by the lake. You can use this umbrella!”
Bai-Suzhen said: “My name is Bai-Suzhen. She is my sister XiaoQing. We live in Baifu not far from here. If you have time, you can come to my house as a guest.”
After a while of talking to each other, Bai-Suzhen and Xu Xian’s relationship got better and better. Not soon after, they became husband and wife. Bai-Suzhen also helped Xu Xian to open a pharmacy. Xu Xian was a kind person and had excellent medical skills. Many people sought medical treatment from them, and they lived a happy life.
One day, a monk named Fahai who came from Jinshan Temple passed by and saw Xu Xian, who exerted a demonic energy. Later, he found out that Xu Xian’s wife was actually a thousand year old spirit. He said to Xu Xian: “Your wife is a snake demon. If you continue to be together, you will be hurt by her over time.”
Xu Xian said angrily: “My wife is so kind, how could she be a snake demon? And how could she possibly harm me?”
Fahai knew that Xu Xian had a hard time believing what he said, so he told Xu Xian: “If you don’t believe it, give her some regular wine on the Dragon Boat Festival, and then see if she will change back to her original form.”
Upon hearing what Fahai said, Xu Xian thought to himself “I’ll just try it out, if the lady doesn't transform, then the monk is lying.” So, on the Dragon Boat Festival, Xu Xian managed to make Bai-Suzhen drink the wine mixed with realgar. Unexpectedly, Bai-Suzhen really turned into a snake. Xu Xian was so frightened that he fainted, and he has been ill since then.
In order to save Xu Xian, Bai-Suzhen went to Xianshan to steal fairy grass. Monk Fahai thinks that Bai-Suzhen is a snake demon and will always harm people, so he took the opportunity to take Xu Xian to the Jinshan Temple and put him under house arrest. Then, he looked for an opportunity to get rid of the snake demon as Bai-Suzhen and XiaoQing went to Jinshan Temple to rescue Xu Xian.
Bai-Suzhen said to Fahai, "Although I am a snake demon, I have no intention of harming anyone. I just want to live a good life with my husband. Why do you want to break us up?"
Fahai said angrily: "Humans and demons shouldn't be together in the first place, so you and the other snake should go back to the mountain and continue to practice!"
Bai-Suzhen said: “No! I must save my husband today.”
Bai-Suzhen, XiaoQing, and Fahai fought fiercely. In desperation, Bai-Suzhen led the water from the West Lake to flood the Jinshan Temple. In the end, Bai-Suzhen lost her magic power to Fahai, and was covered by Fahai with a golden bowl. The couple was separated.
It is because of this legend that there was the custom of sprinkling realgar to avoid evil spirits on the Dragon Boat Festival. However, realgar is poisonous, so you can't drink it. Even Bai-Suzhen will be poisoned and show her true shape. Some people will hang calamus and wormwood on the door during the Dragon Boat Festival, or wear sachets, all of which can help avoid bad luck!
There are many mosquitoes in summer, and it is easy to breed diseases, so everyone should pay more attention. Children should wash their hands and disinfect more, pay attention to hygiene, and then the virus can be driven away. I hope everyone stays safe during this festival! See you next time!
