单元话题导读
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.
There are many legends about the evolution of the festival, the most popular of which is in memory of Qu Yuan (340－278 BC)．In 278 BC, he heard the news that Qin troops had finally conquered Chu’s capital, so he jumped into the Miluo River and tied his arms to a large stone.The day happened to be the 5th of the 5th month in the Chinese lunar calendar.After his death, the people of Chu crowded to the bank of the river to pay their respect to him.The fishermen sailed their boats up and down the river to look for his body.People threw into the water zongzi and eggs to attract possible fish or shrimp.An old doctor poured a jug of wine into the water, hoping to turn all aquatic beasts drunk.That’s why people later followed the customs such as dragon boat racing, eating zongzi and drinking wine on that day.
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.Folk tales say the game originates from the activities of seeking Qu Yuan’s body. In the following thousands of years, the game spread to Japan, Vietnam and Britain as well as China’s Taiwan and Hong Kong.Now dragon boat racing has developed into an aquatic sports item which features both Chinese traditional and modern sporting spirit. In 1980, it was listed into the state sports competition programs and has since been held every year.The award is called “Qu Yuan Cup”.
