Published on: 2026-06-19
Source: The People’s Republic of China in the Russian language –
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Duanwu Festival is one of the oldest Chinese holidays, with a history of more than 2,000 years. It is celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th month according to the lunar calendar (usually in June).
There are several legends about the origin of the holiday. The most popular legend is about Cui Yuan – a famous poet of antiquity and a nobleman of the Chu kingdom, who lived during the Spring and Autumn period (722-481 BC). Seeing how his homeland was subjected to pressure from the powerful Qin kingdom, Cui Yuan gave the ruler of Chu valuable advice on strengthening the military power of the state and resisting the enemy. However, the advice was disputed by other nobles, and as a result, the ruler of the kingdom dismissed Cui Yuan from his position and expelled him from the capital.In the link, Cui Yuan composed immortal works in which he expressed longing for his homeland: “Lisa” (“Elegy of the Detached”), “Tianwen” (“Questions to Heaven”), “Czue” (“Nine Elegies”), and others.
In 278 BC, when the Qin troops captured the Chu capital, Qu Yuan wrote his last work “Huai Sha” and, not wanting to live to see the disgrace of his country’s fall, on the fifth day of the fifth month threw himself into the Miluo River. Upon learning of the poet’s death, the subjects of Chu came to the river. Fishermen tried to find the body of the drowned. People threw rice, eggs, and other food into the river so that fish and crabs would not harm Qu Yuan’s body. One of the healers poured strong rice wine into the river so that the river dwellers, having drunk the wine, would not be able to eat the poet’s remains.Thus, a custom gradually developed to hold dragon boat races on the fifth day of the fifth month every year, to drink rice wine, and to eat the festive delicacy “zongzi.”
Czunzi – a dish prepared by steaming glutinous rice wrapped in sugarcane, bamboo, or palm leaves and tied with multicolored silk threads. According to historical records, czunzi appeared specifically during the Spring and Autumn periods. The filling for czunzi can be dates, bean puree, meat, or egg yolk. Nowadays, every year at the beginning of the fifth month according to the lunar calendar, many Chinese families soak glutinous rice, wash sugarcane leaves, and prepare czunzi. The festive dish can also be bought in stores.
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