Duan Wu Jie

Sigh… My Advertlets‘ cheque is not here yet, everyone got theirs already but not mine. Where are you? It’s not Advertlets‘ fault, it’s the post office’s fault! It’s a bit too long already, I’m expecting it last week and it’s not here yet, thought of getting it this week, nothing here yet 🙁

It’s that time of the year now! Rice dumplings… Yum… Yum… Well, I have rice dumplings even when it’s not the festival. In Chinese it’s called “Zhong Zi” and the festical is called “Duan Wu Jie”. In English I think it should be Rice Dumpling Festival hahaha…

These were from Lundu. There are two types, pork and another one is yam. The one showing here is yam. I don’t know who to make this. I don’t want to learn too hahaha… So tedious *blek* We don’t do this ourselves, usually given by relatives. As for other days, we just buy them.

Wondering what is the story behind this festival, here’s something from the Internet:

Duan Wu Jie is a day to commemorate the Chinese patriot and poet, Qu Yuan. Falling on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, it is a day to remind oneself of one’s duties and obligations to the nation. Other than eating rice dumplings and participating in dragon boat races, this occasion ought to be used to commemorate the national patriots and to emphasise on the importance of loyalty and commitment to the community.

During the tumultous period of the Warring States, there lived a wise and learned man called Qu Yuan (340 – 278 B.C.). He served in various official capacities in the Chu Kingdom. Evil court official, being antagonised by Qu Yuan’s ability and reforms, influenced the weak-minded emperor to dismiss and exile him.

During the next 20 years following his exile, Qu Yuan travelled extensively and composed verses on what he saw and thought. With the progressive occupation of Chu land by the Qin Kingdom, Qu Yuan was totally disheartened. Finally, being overwhelmed by misery, Qu Yuan clasped a stone to his chest and plunged into the Mi Luo River (in Hunan province) on the fifth day of the fifth month.

Upon hearing Qu Yuan’s suicide, the fishermen set sail to look for his body, hence began the tradition of holding dragon boat competitions. However, Qu Yuan’s body could not be found and people started throwing rice into the river to feed Qu Yuan. Later the local fishermen were told in a dream that the fishes and other sea creatures got the rice instead of Qu Yuan. Therefore, the next time they threw rice into the river, they first stuffed it into bamboo sections. This custom is later evolved into the present day version: rice wrapped in bamboo leaves stuffed with meat, beans, salted egg yolks, mushrooms, etc..

I don’t think we have dragon boat races anymore in Kuching. Hmm… Happy Duan Wu Jie!