The new year and mid-autumn festivals are big days decided by the change of seasons and movements of the sun and moon. There is no poetical element in either of them but through the centuries they have been enriched by numerous Chinese legends and fairy tales that there is always an aura of poetic quality surrounding them.
On the other hand, the dragon boat festival is to mark the tragic death of a patriotic poet. Thousands of years have also corrupted the form of celebration that today it is the only militant festival for the Chinese with the poetic atmosphere only barely discernible.
The festival when the dragon boats race in streams all over China falls on the fifth day of the fifth Chinese month. In 1961, it was on June 17.
On that day, about one fifth of Taipei's million population trooped out to the banks of the Tamsui River. While a sizzling sun hung overhead and the heat wave kept the mercury soaring and soaring toward the century mark, the 200,000 people stood their ground on both banks. A few enterprising ones went into the river for the cooling effect. The wiser ones came out with umbrellas. But the majority of them, men, women, old folks and children, simply braved the scorching sun and great discomfiture.
Because, the dragon boat race was on.
Four crews - two from Taipei and one each from suburban Sanchung and Grass Mountain - took part in the annual extravaganza. For this year's race, Taipei built two special boats. Both the Green Dragon and Yellow Dragon are ornately carved boats somewhat resembling the gondola of Venice. A dragon's head cockily stands at the bow and the dragon's body is carved on both starboard and port until the tail sticks out at the stern.
Few people can tell why the boat is fashioned after the mythical dragon. Suffice it to say here that the dragon, respected and loved by all Chinese, lends a majestic beauty to an otherwise ordinary wooden river craft.
Twenty two men handle the oars in one boat. In addition, there is a drummer and a cymbalist who beat out a furious rhythm, which dictates the movements of the oars. The team leader sits at the stern handling the rudder. It is he who shouts encouragements-sometimes mixed with a brand of profanity only known in China - at the oarsmen, egging them forward and forward.
On June 17, the four dragons splashed through Taipei's Tamsui River for the coveted championship. Eight races were held in one day. During the intervals, troupes performed on makeshift stages erected on flat-bottomed boats in the river. There was no relaxation for the spectators throughout the three and a half hours.
At the end of the three-day race, which was witnessed by more than half a million men, Grass Mountain won the championship with a perfect win-loss record. Sanchung came in second. Taipei, the proud host who built two speed dragon boats just for the occasion, finished last and second from last
Poet’s Day
While brawn was demonstrating itself in the river, the men of brains were not idle either. In a much cooler meeting hall in Taipei, Chinese men of letters met to celebrate the day. Only they call the day Poet's Day, forgetting temporarily the popular dragon boats.
Yes, it was a poet, the prince of a lost kingdom, who started the festival.
About twenty three hundred years ago in the Kingdom of Chu there was an exceptionally brilliant poet born in the royal family. The prince was named Chu Yuan who later was made the official in charge of affairs concerning three big clans.
It was near the end of the Warring States. The Kingdom of Chu was menaced by a rising power in the northwest, the Kingdom of Chin which ultimately conquered all other states and made whole of China one single country under the tyrant Hsi Huang Ti.
Chu Yuan, being a high official, was worried. He admonished the king that every effort should be made to resist the encroachments of the Chin people. Unfortunately, his advice fell on deaf ears since the king was inclined to the policy of appeasement
Chin's king suggested a summit conference between the two chiefs of state. King Huai of Chu, thinking that peace was within sight, brushed aside Chu Yuan's warnings and went to the conference. He was held hostage by Chin. Subsequently he died in the Kingdom of Chin.
A new king took over in the Kingdom of Chu. King Hsiang refused to learn any lesson from what happened to his father. He was annoyed by Chu Yuan's incessant calls for preparations for war against Chin. A great court debate took place. Chu Yuan found himself fighting almost alone against a large number of officials who thought Chu could only survive by kutowing to Chin. But Chu Yuan continued his warnings and suggestions.
An enraged King Hsiang banished Chu Yuan from the court. At that time Chu Yuan was already 53 and could hardly stand the strain of life. During his nine-year exile, he wrote many letters to the king and composed poems calling for national awakening. Bad luck dogged the poet to the very end.
On the fifth day of the fifth month in the 21st year of King Hsiang's reign, an aged but completely disillusioned Chu Yuan drowned himself in the Milo River in today's Hunan Province. Prior to that, he had written several verses indicating that he was going to make a last minute protest with his own life.
After his death, the Kingdom of Chu was soon conquered by the Kingdom of Chin.
But Chu Yuan was more lasting than his nation or its kings. Up to this moment thousands upon thousands of Chinese youth weep while reading his Poems of Chu (Chu Tzu). These poems are considered the best in China. They are sometimes romantic, sometimes somber but always patriotic and inspiring.
Braving the scorching sun, thousands upon thousands of townspeople turn out to watch the thrilling dragon boat race. (File photo)
The three greatest Chinese poets of all ages are Li Po, Tu Fu and Chu Yuan. Li is the god of poets. Tu is the saint of poets. And Chu is the patriot of the poets.
Chu's drowning started the dragon boat race and the cooking of a Chinese delicacy called tsungtse. The dragon boats are not actually racing in a river. They are rushing to the rescue of Chu Yuan.
The tsungtse is more symbolic. It is a kind of rice dumpling boiled in hot water. It signifies the drowning of the poet. But it is one of the most beloved Chinese edibles.
In 1929, the festival was declared poet's Day. Ever since that year, the bards of the nation have been gathering to recite their latest best. All the poems are dedicated to the prince poet, Chu Yuan.
Other Legends
But there are other legends concerning the origin of the festival. Some historians insist that it is not a day honoring Chu Yuan. Rather it is a day devoted to the rebel of the Kingdom of Chu, Wu Yuan.
History says Wu Yuan or Wu Tse-hsi was the second son of a high official under King Ping of Chu. The father was executed by the king due to no fault of his own. Wu Yuan's elder brother told Yuan to leave the country and seek revenge. He himself went to death with the father.
Wu disguised himself as a beggar and made his way to the Kingdom of Wu. Unable to pass the last fortress en route, he stayed in a hotel gnawing at his fingernails. His hair turned white overnight and he was easily passed by the sentries.
Wu Yuan saw King Fu Tsai of Wu and presented his case. He stayed with Fu Tsai, became his prime minister and made the Kingdom of Wu the strongest among the Warring States. In a few years he led the hordes of Wu back to the Kingdom of Chu. He defeated his own country, occupied the capital and whipped the corpse of King Ping who had long died.
But King Fu Tsai soon disagreed with Wu Yuan who did not like the warlike policies of the King. Finally, Fu Tsai put Wu Yuan to death and floated his corpse in the river. The date of death was also supposed to be on the fifth day of the fifth Chinese month.
There is, however, yet another legend on the origin of the festival. Chinese folklore insists that in the Tang Dynasty there lived in Chekiang Province a learned man with a beautiful daughter by the name of Chao O. One day, the father went to the brink of the river and fell into it. It was on the fifth day of the fifth month too.
Chao O heard about the sad news that the corpse of his father could not be found. Without a moment's hesitation, she jumped into the river. Three days and three nights passed without any eddy coming from the river. Then on the fourth day, both corpses, with the daughter hugging the father, came to the surface.
Chao O's filial piety so moved the people that the river was renamed Chao O River and the day was set aside as a festival. Gradually, it became the dragon boat festival.
These stories have a time difference of about thirteen hundred years but all of them are sad. They tell of hatred, human foolishness and tragic endings.
That is the prevailing tone of the festival. Because both Chu Yuan and Wu Yuan were calling for military preparations, the day was also militant by nature.
To Ward Off Evils
Gradually, the festival—also known as tuan wu or fifth moon festival or tien chung festival or Man Day-became, in the mind of most Chinese, the day when the evil spirits roam in the world. And the people have been doing their best in the last hundreds of years to ward off the evil spirits.
A special species of reed called changpu is hung on every door in the morning. Errant spirits, the legends say, will keep away from houses having that mystic herb. In many localities of China, pine twigs, dragon boat flowers and the ai herb are also used.
These herbs are boiled in water and the water is used for people to take a bath. This too is to keep the evil spirits at bay.
A special wine is concocted for the day. In Chinese drugstores, a yellowish powder called hsiung huang is available. People mix the powder in wine and drink it. That fortifies them against the invasion of the malicious elements. For children who should not drink, the sticky wine is used as an ink and a Chinese character meaning "king" is written on their forehead. A little gewgaw called the little fragrant beg is also given the children to protect them.
The rice dumpling is taken by Chinese all over China. It is usually sweetened mashed beans wrapped in glutinous rice which again is wrapped by river weeds. Sometimes, the beans are replaced by pork. But the children are not allowed to eat the corners of the dumpling because their superstitious parents believe the corners may incur skin diseases.
Local Flavor
In Taiwan, the festival is celebrated too by the drinking of the "golden eye water" and timely hair trims.
Clean water from artesian wells is stored at noon on the day in shiny glass bottles. The water may be drunk one or two or ten years later. This water is called tears from the dragon's eye and is also used to wash the eyes of the children.
There are also exaggerated suggestions on the curative effects of the water. They are being politely discarded by the people.
However, in Taiwan every man and woman must have their haircut on or before the day. It is said that human hair might be used by the devil to wrap up his rice dumpling. That is why the barbers of Taiwan welcome the festival with more than usual glee.
Historical researchers, as usual, are not agreed on the date of the first dragon boat race. They only find in the books references to huge dragon boats built by Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty (605-618) who dug a canal just for pleasure rides in that boat.
But the historians are agreed that the first dragon boat race took place in Taiwan about three hundred years ago in the early days of the Manchu Dynasty when Taiwan was just transferred from Koxinga's regime to the government in Peiping.