Why is Dragon Boat Festival called Duanwu or Duanyang Festival in China?

May 8, 2009 - PRLog -- Dragon Boat Festival or Duanwu Festival occurs on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month (which falls between the last 10-day period of May and the first 10-day period of June). It is reckoned in accordance with Chinese lunar calendar based on months consisting of 29 or 30 days, whereas the actual summer solstice is determined according to Gregorian calendar reckoning (where months have 30, 31, 28 or, in leap years, 29 days).

In traditional China, the sun (Yang) is considered to be the strongest around the time of summer solstice ("mid-summer", but "beginning" of summer elsewhere) when the daytime is the longest in the northern hemisphere.

Yang (sun), like dragon in Chinese myth, is considered to be male; whereas Yin or yue (moon), like feng huang (mythical Chinese phoenix bird), is considered to be female. Summer solstice is male whereas winter solstice (longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere) is female. So it is natural to venerate the male dragon at the time that the sun is at its maximal strength, that is, at duan wu. the Double Fifth was traditionally referred to as "boys day", although this was changed to "children's day" around 50 years ago.

The Yin-Yang (shadow-light) theory, symbolized by very familiar Taiji Diagram (Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate), reflects the traditional Chinese world view of the duality of forces. The similar view was widely applied to many fields of Chinese social life. For example, it is  part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory. The use of herbs and plants, realgar wine, mugwort, etc. to ward off evils during the height of the summer heat around the time of dragon boat races and duan wu reflects TCM concepts as well, which are founded on Daoist traditions of "alchemy". The dates for current and next year are 8 June 2008 and 28 May 2009.

More details about Dragon Boat Festival at http://www.chinafacttours.com/facts/festivals/chinese-dra...

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