Dragon Boat Festival...

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

Another holiday coming this week; this time it's "The Dragon Boat Festival." A time for sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves. A short work week for most of us, with Thursday, Friday, and Saturday off. It's pretty common in China to exchange a weekend day for work, so that you can get more successive days in a row off. This time, we will work on Sunday, so that we will have 5/28, 5/29, and 5/30 off. My wife is planning an out of town trip for us, in observance of the holiday. Probably to Yellow Mountain. My first time to go there. I hear it's quite beautiful, but a lot of work hiking.

 

Yay!

 

http://i39.tinypic.com/2exlv0x.jpg

Edited May 25, 2009 by ShaQuaNew (see edit history)

[Zhou Zhou]

>>A time for sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves<<

 

It is called, "Zongzi"...and very hao cir.

Edited May 25, 2009 by Zhou Zhou (see edit history)

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

>>A time for sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves<<

 

It is called, "Zongzi"...and very hao cir.

 

 

Many different kinds:

 

Meat, sweet, spicy..., difficult to make, but as you say, very tasty!

[usagroom]

saw that the GUZ was closed Thursday because of it

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

saw that the GUZ was closed Thursday because of it

 

 

Yes, as a matter of fact, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday are holidays for all of China. You can expect that GUZ will be closed on these days.

[david_dawei]

One should never forget the origin of this holiday...

 

At the end of the Zhou Dynasty, which Confucius was forever trying to re-establish the 'Zhou rites', China fell into the "Warring State Period", which had as many as 17 states fueding and reduced to 7 powerful states seeking rule: Han, Wu, Zhao, Chu, Qi, Yan and Qin. Qin was not even considered a contender early on and yet was the victor in the end; The name of "China" is said to come from "Qin".

 

http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/warringstates.jpg

 

Most can spend some time reading the history of the military battles.. but two stories from this period should not be forgetten:

1. Jing Ke - He was a famous military assassin of Yan who 'attempted' to offer peace with Qin... All knew his mission was suicide and there is a very moving poem he wrote in route to his attempted ruse. See Jet Li in "Hero" for a visually incredible screen adapation.

2. Qu Yuan - A minister to Zhou and very much loved by the people. He insisted on avoiding conflict with Qin and was removed as as result. While in exile, he heard of the fall of Zhou and wrote a moving poem and likewise committed suicide by jumping to a river. When the people heard word of this, they rushed to the river, beat drums and threw Zong Zi into the river to feed the fish so the fish would not touch Qu Yuan's body.

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

One should never forget the origin of this holiday...

 

At the end of the Zhou Dynasty, which Confucius was forever trying to re-establish the 'Zhou rites', China fell into the "Warring State Period", which had as many as 17 states fueding and reduced to 7 powerful states seeking rule: Han, Wu, Zhao, Chu, Qi, Yan and Qin. Qin was not even considered a contender early on and yet was the victor in the end; The name of "China" is said to come from "Qin".

 

http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/warringstates.jpg

 

Most can spend some time reading the history of the military battles.. but two stories from this period should not be forgetten:

1. Jing Ke - He was a famous military assassin of Yan who 'attempted' to offer peace with Qin... All knew his mission was suicide and there is a very moving poem he wrote in route to his attempted ruse. See Jet Li in "Hero" for a visually incredible screen adapation.

2. Qu Yuan - A minister to Zhou and very much loved by the people. He insisted on avoiding conflict with Qin and was removed as as result. While in exile, he heard of the fall of Zhou and wrote a moving poem and likewise committed suicide by jumping to a river. When the people heard word of this, they rushed to the river, beat drums and threw Zong Zi into the river to feed the fish so the fish would not touch Qu Yuan's body.

 

David, you continue to be a wealth of information. There are many Chinese people that don't even know this....

[usagroom]

SO's mama made Zong Zi for the family and saved some for me. I think she likes me! I told the SO that I wanted to learn how to make it and bao from her mama. SO laughed, "I buy it at the store, mother makes it by hand."