端午节故事的由来英文版（The Legend of Dragon Boats）

The Legend of Dragon Boats

The Origin of Dragon Boat Festival

The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu Festival, is a traditional holiday celebrated in China on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. The festival has been observed for over 2,000 years and commemorates the death of Qu Yuan, a Chinese poet and politician who lived during the Warring States period.

Qu Yuan was a loyal minister of the state of Chu, but he was exiled from his homeland by a corrupt official. During his exile, he wrote many poems expressing his love for Chu and his concern for his people. When he heard that his homeland had been invaded by the state of Qin, he threw himself into the Miluo River out of despair.

The Legend of Dragon Boats

According to legend, the people of Chu who admired Qu Yuan raced their boats to the spot where he drowned to search for his body. They banged drums and splashed water with their paddles to frighten away evil spirits that might harm his body.

But when they found Qu Yuan's body, it was already decomposed. In order to prevent his body from being eaten by fish and other creatures in the river, the people wrapped it in silk and rice dumplings, which they threw into the river as an offering to the river gods.

The Customs of Dragon Boat Festival

Over time, these customs evolved into the traditions of dragon boat racing and eating zongzi. Dragon boat racing involves teams of paddlers racing long, narrow boats decorated with dragon heads and tails, while zongzi are sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves, which are filled with different sweet or savory ingredients such as pork, beans, or egg yolk.

To this day, the Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated with these customs as a way to honor Qu Yuan and the enduring spirit of loyalty, courage, and sacrifice that he embodied.