cover of episode Let's go dragon-boating! Happy Dragon Boat Festival!丨端午安康

Let's go dragon-boating! Happy Dragon Boat Festival!丨端午安康

2021/6/14
logo of podcast 魔都英语新闻丨ShanghaiLive

魔都英语新闻丨ShanghaiLive

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Shownotes Transcript

大家好!今天是端午节! (端 beginning 五five 花字补充) It's one of four major Chinese festivals, along with the Spring Festival, the Qingming Festival, the Mid-autumn Festival. Duanwu is more commonly known as the Dragon Boat Festival, mainly due to the fast, fun and sometimes furious races. Follow the drumbeat to a village near Foshan, Guangdong Province, where skilled paddlers maneuver their dragon boasts along narrow waterways. More than just a showcase of athleticism and teamwork, the 2,500-year-long custom now has a fairly strong international following with many associations and clubs. Zongzi, the pyramid-shaped glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in reed leaves, are another symbol of Duanwu. Last but not least, great importance was attached to the festival as it also acted as “national hygiene awareness day” in ancient times. As insects and snakes were a nuisance in summer, people hung calamus and wormwood above their doorways挂艾草菖蒲, wore a herbal sachet香囊, drank realgar wine雄黄酒, and bathed in herbal water洗草药水. These TCM methods offered some protection against germs and diseases. People today still follow these traditions. 五月五过端午,愿您端午安康。