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Culture and story

Getting knowledge of Jiangsu' past and present

Do you really know the Dragon Boat Festival?

The Dragon Boat Festival, the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, has had a history of more than 2,000 years. It is usually in June in the Gregorian calendar.


What does people eat in the festival? tsung-tse:Glutinous rice filled with meat, nuts or bean paste and wrapped in bamboo leaves. It is associated with Dragon Boat Festival with historical meaning.The custom of eating zongzi is now popular in North and South Korea, Japan and Southeast Asian nations.


What does people drink this day? Adults drink Xiong Huang Wine, which can fend off evil spirits.


What activity does people take part in? Dragon boat racing is an indispensable part of the festival, held all over the country. As the gun is fired, people will see racers in dragon-shaped canoes pulling the oars harmoniously and hurriedly, accompanied by rapid drums, speeding toward their destination.


What does people make up o decorate themselves usually? On Dragon Boat Festival, parents also need to dress their children up with a perfume pouch. They first sew little bags with colorful silk cloth, then fill the bags with perfumes or herbal medicines, and finally string them with silk threads. The perfume pouch will be hung around the neck or tied to the front of a garment as an ornament. They are said to be able to ward off evil.


What does people hang at the door? Hang branches of moxa and calamus around the doors of their homes  and display portraits of evil's nemesis, Chung Kuei.