Cultural Heritage: Dragon Boat Festival in Hunan

The 3nd Hunan Mass Dragon Boat Final Race in Changde

6月5日，2016“我们的节日•端午•屈原杯”湖南省第三届群众性龙舟赛总决赛在常德开赛。

On June 5, The 3nd Hunan Mass Dragon Boat Final Race is held in Changde.

湖南省委常委、省委宣传部部长张文雄（右）出席赛事，并为龙舟点睛。

Zhang Wenxiong (R), member of the Standing Committee and Director of the Propaganda Department of Hunan Provincial Party Committee, attends the race.

湖南省委宣传部副部长、省文明办主任刘进能主持开幕仪式。

Liu Jinneng, Deputy Director of the Propaganda Department of Hunan Provincial Party Committee and Director of Hunan Provincial Civilization Administration Office presides over the opening ceremony.

16支龙舟队同场竞技，现场近万名观众见证赛事。

16 dragon boat teams are racing, with nearly 10,000 audiences watching.

     湖南文明网6月6日讯：6月5日上午，常德柳叶湖一改往日恬静，迎来了2016“我们的节日˙端午˙屈原杯”湖南省第三届群众性龙舟赛总决赛。来自湖南14个市州和湖南文理学院、怀化学院的 共16支龙舟队同场竞技，现场近万名观众见证了这场热闹壮观的体育盛事。湖南省委常委、省委宣传部部长张文雄出席，省委宣 传部副部长、省文明办主任刘进能主持开幕仪式。

On the morning of June 5, the 3nd Hunan Dragon Boat Final Race was held in Liuye Lake, Changde City in memory of Qu Yuan, a virtuous feudal official in Chu State. There were total 16 dragon boat teams representing 14 cities and prefectures of Hunan, Hunan University of Arts and Science, and Huaihua College. Nearly 10,000 audiences witnessed the grand dragon boat race. Zhang Wenxiong, member of the Standing Committee and Director of the Propaganda Department of Hunan Provincial Party Committee, attended the race; Liu Jinneng, Deputy Director of the Propaganda Department of Hunan Provincial Party Committee and Director of Hunan Provincial Civilization Administration Office presided over the opening ceremony. (Source: Hun.wenming.cn)

　　分赛区获胜的16支龙舟队参加总决赛，总决赛设500米直道竞速、200米直道竞速及团体总分3个项目，并设体育道德风尚奖。 经过激烈角逐，株洲市龙舟协会悠移山庄龙舟队、娄底天堂金华 龙舟队、长沙望城千龙湖龙舟队分别获得200米冠亚季军。

The final race set 3 events for competition, namely, 500-m straightaway racing, 200-m straightaway racing and team score, together with the sportsmanship award. Finally, “Youyi Mountain Villa” dragon boat team of Zhuzhou Dragon Boat Association, “Tiantang Jinhua” dragon boat team of Loudi city, “Qianlong Lake” dragon boat team of Wangcheng, Changsha respectively won the first, second and third prizes of 200-m straightaway race.

　　为继承和弘扬中华民族传统文化，湖南正在研究把龙舟赛纳入省运会竞赛项目，龙舟运动有望从群众性龙舟赛转型为专业龙舟竞技。

Hunan is considering to include dragon boat race into competitive events of Hunan provincial games, and thus the mass dragon boat race potentially turns to be professional.

Dragon Boat Race in Hunan

　　赛龙舟，是端午节的主要习俗。相传起源于古时楚国人因舍不得贤臣屈原投江死去，许多人划船追赶拯救。他们争先恐后，追至洞庭湖时不见踪迹。之后每年五月五日划龙舟以纪念之。借划龙舟驱散江中之鱼，以免鱼吃掉屈原的身体。竞渡之习，盛行于吴、越、楚。

Dragon boat race, the main event of Dragon Boat Festival, is traditionally originated from Chu people rescuing drowning Qu Yuan by boat rowing. However, Qu Yuan was not visible till Dongting Lake. Being afraid of Qu Yuan’s body eaten by fish, Chu People launched dragon boat rowing every year on May 5th to memorize Qu Yuan by dispersing fish. Dragon boat race prevailed in Wu State, Yue State and Chu State.

　　其实，“龙舟竞渡”早在战国时代就有了。在急鼓声中划刻成龙形的独木舟，做竞渡游戏，以娱神与乐人，是祭仪中半宗教 性、半娱乐性的节目。

In fact, dragon boat race originally appeared in Warring States Period as a semi-religious and semi-recreational sacred performance. People carry out dragon-shaped canoe races in pressing drums to entertain gods and audience.

Zongzi

　　粽子古称“角黍”，传说是为祭投江的屈原而发明的——传说而已，真正有文字记载的粽子见于晋周处的《风土记》；而流传有序，历史最悠久的粽子则是西安的蜂蜜凉粽子，载于唐韦巨源《食谱》。特点是只用糯米，无馅，煮熟后晾凉，吃时用丝线 勒成薄片，浇以蜂蜜与黄桂酱——白糖腌桂花酱。

Zongzi, anciently known as "Jiaoshu", traditionally in memory of Qu Yuan, are to the Dragon Boat Festival what eggs are to Easter or roses to Valentine’s Day. Actually, the earliest written records about Zongzi are seen in Social Customs Documents by Zhou Chu in the Jin Dynasty. Cool honey Zongzi in Xi’an has the longest history, recorded in Cookbooks by Wei Juyuan in the Tang Dynasty. Cool honey Zongzi is made of pure glutinous rice flour without fillings. The cooked Zongzi is let cool before slicing, and then poured with honey and chrysanthemum sauce for meal.

Care for the Old Drifters: Dragon Boat Festival Celebrated in Guitang Community

　　 6月3日，圭塘社区“五彩一家”活动室热闹非凡，长沙市雨花区 “民意快线”工程——“五彩一家聚端午•漂族老人叙浓情”主题活动在此举行。

On June 3, the older drifters reunite to celebrate Dragon Boat Festival in Guitang Community, Yuhua District, Changsha.

圭塘社区居民们包粽子 (Guitang Community residents are wrapping up Zongzi.)

　　湖南文明网6月3日讯：6月3日，圭塘社区“五彩一家”活动室热闹非凡，长沙市雨花区“民意快线”工程——“五彩一家˙聚端午漂族老人叙浓情”主题活动在此举行，辖区的“漂族老人”欢聚一堂，提前共同度过了一个热热闹闹的端午节。“百家宴是我们社区的一件大事，来自五湖四海的人一起团圆非常温馨，每年我都很期待。”漂族老人吴苏在圭塘社区百家宴的现场开心不已。

On June 3, Dragon Boat Festival caring for the old drifters was celebrated in Guitang Community, Yuhua District, Changsha. The old drifters are the old parents who care for the third generation far from home. They gathered together and wrapped up Zongzi by themselves to celebrate Dragon Boat Festival in advance. The old man Wu Su felt very glad that day in Guitang Community, said that he was very much looking forward to reunion on every dragon boat festival. (Source: Hun.wenming.cn)