端午节(英语版).ppt

1、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.,Legend of Dragon Boat Festivals origin,Qu Yuan, a famous poet, served as minister to the Zhou Emperor. A wise and articulate

2、 man, he was loved by the common people. He did much to fight against the rampant corruption that plagued the court- thereby earning the envy and fear of other officials. Therefore, when he urged the emperor to avoid conflict with the Qin Kingdom, the officials pressured the Emperor to have him remo

3、ved from service. In exile, he traveled, taught and wrote for several years. Hearing that the Zhou had been defeated by the Qin, he fell into despair and threw himself into the Milou River on the fifth day of the fifth month.,Along with the Chinese New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival, Dragon Boat Festi

4、val is one of the biggest traditional holidays in China. The origin of this holiday is a bit troubling - a poet Qu Yuan 屈原 (about 300 BC) killed himself by jumping into the river on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. A very patriotic person, Qu Yuan attracted the wrath of the king by stating his co

5、ncerns about the govenrment. Later when his country was overrun by enemy solidiers, the ever loyal poet killed himself out of grief for the pain his country was facing.,People were sad over the patriotic poets death. They tossed rice and meat into the river to feed the fish, which would protect Qus

6、body.,Dragon boat race,Dragon boat race,Dragon boat races are the most popular activity during the Dragon Boat festival, especially in Southern China.,A typical dragon boat ranges from 50-100 feet in length, with a beam of about 5.5 feet, accommodating two paddlers seated side by side. It is brightl

7、y painted in red, white, yellow and black. A wooden dragon head is attached at the bow, and a dragon tail at the stern. A banner hoisted on a pole is also fastened at the stern. In the center of the boat is a canopied shrine behind which the drummers, gong beaters and cymbal players are seated to se

8、t the pace for the paddlers. There are also men positioned at the bow to set off firecrackers, toss rice into the water and pretend to be looking for Qu Yuan. All of the noise and pageantry creates an atmosphere of gaiety and excitement for the participants and spectators alike.,Dragon boat racing i

9、s quite a spectacle, with drums beating, colorful flags waving, and thousands of people cheering on both sides of the river.,Races can have any number of boats competing, with the winner being the first team to grab a flag at the end of the course. Annual races take place all over China, Hong Kong,

10、Macao, Taiwan, and other overseas Chinese communities.,Dragon boat racing,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 drum

11、s, speeding toward their destination. Folk tales say the game originates from the activities of seeking Qu Yuans body, but experts, after painstaking and meticulous research, conclude that dragon boat racing is a semi-religious, semi-entertaining program from the Warring States Period (475-221 BC).,

12、In the following thousands of years, the game spread to Japan, Vietnam and Britain as well as Chinas Taiwan and Hong Kong. Now dragon boat racing has developed into an aquatic sports item which features both Chinese tradition and modern sporting spirit. In 1980, it was listed into the state sports c

13、ompetition programs and has since been held every year. The award is called “Qu Yuan Cup.”,Dragon Boat Festivals feature,Zongzi (Chinese rice dumplings) Dragon boat race interesting customs,Zongzi (Chinese rice dumplings),Zongzi, as the traditional food for the Dragon Boat Festival, is a pyramid-sha

14、ped dumpling made of glutinous rice and wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves to give it a special flavor, varies greatly across China.,sachet,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 bag

15、s 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.,Hsiang Bao,.sachet香包、香袋 Its believed that if you carry the small spice bag aroun

16、d with you, it not only drives away evil spirits but also brings fortune and happiness to those who wear it. The small bags are hand-made by local craftsmen. Theyre made with red, yellow, green and blue silk, fine satin or cotton. Figures of animals, flowers and fruits are often embroidered onto the

17、 bags and inside are mixed Chinese herbal medicines.,Realgar wine雄黄酒 It is a very popular practice to drink this kind of Chinese liquor seasoned with realgar at the Dragon Boat Festival. Acient Chinese believed realgar was an antidote for all poisions, and therefore most effective to drive away evil spirits and kill insects. So every