In many places in China, such as Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou and other places, the Dragon Boat Festival is divided into the Big Dragon Boat Festival and the Little Dragon Boat Festival. The fifth day of May is the Little Dragon Boat Festival, and the 15th day of May is the Big Dragon Boat Festival. Why is this? Let Lao Huangli show you why the Dragon Boat Festival is divided into the Big Dragon Boat Festival and the Little Dragon Boat Festival.
It is said that there are three Dragon Boat Festivals in Zigui, Hubei Province, Qu Yuan's hometown: "Tou Duanyang" on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, "Big Duan Yang" on the 15th day of May, and "Duan Yang" on the 25th day of May. In the areas of Chenxi, Mayang, Luxi, Yuanling and Xupu in western Hunan, the fifth day of the fifth lunar month was rarely celebrated in the past, and it was usually celebrated on the half of May. People in Chenxi called it "May 15th" (the Mid-Autumn Festival was called "August 10th"). Five", "August and a half").
Why do the people in that area of ??Xiangxi celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival on May 15th? It is said that there are two reasons:
One: to commemorate Qu Yuan. At that time, Qu Yuan crossed Ezhu, entered Dongting, followed the Yuanshui River, passed through Wangzhi, arrived at Chenyang, entered Xupu, and soon went down to the Yuanjiang River, entered Dongting, crossed the Xiangshui River, and arrived at the Miluo River near Changsha. In extreme depression and complete In a desperate mood, he threw himself into the river on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. It has been more than ten days since the bad news reached Xiangxi, so the Dragon Boat Festival in Xiangxi is 10 days later than in other places.
Second: war dictates. It is said that in the first year of Jianwu of the Han Dynasty (AD 25), Wuwei general Liu Shang led his troops to conquer Xiangxi and the entire army was wiped out. When there were no generals left in the court, General Fubo Ma Yuan, who was over sixty years old, took the initiative to ask Liu Xiu, Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty, for a battle ("A man is determined, he will be strong when he is poor, and he will be strong when he is old" and "A man should die in the field, so as to "The corpse is wrapped in horse leather and its ears are buried" are Ma Yuan's famous sayings).
When Ma Yuan raised his troops, it was on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. The soldiers looked troubled, and Ma Yuan said sternly: "On the Dragon Boat Festival, the barbarian chiefs must be drunk, and the advance will be successful. Today is the Little Dragon Boat Festival, After the Dragon Boat Festival, the generals and other generals marched in immediately. Sure enough, the defenders were drunk after the Dragon Boat Festival and had no precautions. Ma Yuan was so unstoppable that he surrendered the area in western Hunan within a few days. On May 15th, Ma Yuan killed pigs and sheep to reward the soldiers. Since then, the Dragon Boat Festival has been celebrated on May 15th in Xiangxi.
On the 15th day of the fifth lunar month, married girls in Xiangxi must go back to their parents’ homes with their husbands to pay homage to the fifth lunar month, drink festive wine, eat rice dumplings, and watch the dragon boat race.
The dragon boat culture in Chenxi and Chenhe areas in Mayang is unique. Every year around the 15th day of the fifth lunar month, dragon boats fly in the river, gongs and drums shake the sky, and naked men scratch their hands. Wearing only shorts, they either lie on the bow of the boat or sit sideways on the side of the boat. The two boats are close together, paired with each other, and fight with each other amidst the cheers and cheers of the crowd - pinching the neck, grabbing the chest, pedaling, lifting the feet, holding arms, etc. You will win if you knock the opponent into the water, or if the opponent knows he is weak and waves his hands. The locals call it "dragon pinching boat".