Dragon boat race is an important activity of Dragon Boat Festival and a festival ceremony of ancient dragon totem. It is also said that the Dragon Boat Festival is held in memory of Qu Yuan. After Qu Yuan jumped into the river and killed himself, the local people immediately rowed to rescue him, but they didn't catch him. In order to mourn, people rowed on the river, and later it gradually developed into a dragon boat race.
Before the Spring and Autumn Period, the ancient Yue people took dragons as totems. In order to show that they are "dragon species", they not only have the custom of tattooing, but also hold a grand totem festival every year on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, including dragon boat racing games similar to today, which is the origin of the custom of dragon boat racing.
The origin of Dragon Boat Festival:
The origin of ancient traditional festivals is related to ancient primitive beliefs, sacrificial culture, astronomical phenomena, calendars and other humanistic and natural cultural contents. According to the research results of modern anthropology and archaeology, the two most primitive beliefs of human beings are the belief in heaven and earth and the belief in ancestors. Most of the ancient festivals were formed in the activities that the ancients chose auspicious days to offer sacrifices to thank the gods of heaven and earth and the ancestors for their kindness.
The early festival culture embodies the humanistic spirit of the ancients, such as advocating nature and seeking the source. A series of sacrificial activities contain profound cultural connotations, such as respecting morality, ritual and music civilization, etc. The origin and development of festivals is a process of gradual formation, subtle improvement and popularization.