HSK 3 · Article · 365 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/what-is-the-dragon-boat-festival

端午节：龙舟和粽子

What is the Dragon Boat Festival?

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农历nónglì五月wǔyuè初五chūwǔ，是shì中国zhōngguó的de端午节duānwǔjié。这zhè一yì天tiān，很hěn多duō地方dìfang的de河hé上shàng都dōu有yǒu很hěn多duō人rén。很hěn多duō很hěn长cháng的de船chuán在zài河hé上shàng比赛bǐsài，船头chuántóu都dōu做成zuòchéng了le龙lóng的de样子yàngzi。船chuán上shàng的de人rén一起yìqǐ划船huáchuán，河边hébiān的de人rén一起yìqǐ大声dàshēng喊hǎn：“加油jiāyóu！”大家dàjiā叫jiào它们tāmen“龙舟lóngzhōu”。

为什么wèishénme是shì这zhè一yì天tiān呢ne？这里zhèlǐ有yǒu一个yígè很hěn有名yǒumíng的de故事gùshi。两千多liǎngqiānduō年nián前qián，有yǒu一yí个gè人rén叫jiào屈原qūyuán。他tā是shì楚国chǔguó的de大官dàguān，也yě会huì写xiě诗shī。他tā非常fēicháng爱ài自己zìjǐ的de国家guójiā，可是kěshì国王guówáng不bù听tīng他tā的de。后来hòulái，别的biéde国家guójiā打败dǎbài了le他tā的de国家guójiā，屈原qūyuán非常fēicháng难过nánguò，就jiù跳进tiàojìn了le一yì条tiáo大河dàhé。

人们rénmen听说tīngshuō了le，马上mǎshàng坐zuò船chuán去qù河hé上shàng找zhǎo他tā，可是kěshì怎么zěnme也yě找不到zhǎobudào。大家dàjiā怕pà河hé里的de鱼yú吃chī屈原qūyuán，就jiù用yòng叶子yèzi包bāo上shàng米mǐ，放进fàngjìn河hé里，让ràng鱼yú吃chī米mǐ，别bié吃chī屈原qūyuán。

两千多liǎngqiānduō年nián过去guòqù了le，人们rénmen还hái在zài包bāo这样zhèyàng的de米mǐ，不过búguò现在xiànzài不bú放进fàngjìn河hé里了le，是shì自己zìjǐ吃chī。这zhè是shì粽子zòngzi。

粽子zòngzi不bù都dōu是shì一样yíyàng的de。很hěn多duō北方běifāng人rén喜欢xǐhuān吃chī甜tián的de；很hěn多duō南方人nánfāngrén喜欢xǐhuān吃chī肉ròu的de，里边lǐbian还有háiyǒu蛋黄dànhuáng。端午节duānwǔjié的de时候shíhou，网上wǎngshàng都dōu会huì有人yǒurén问wèn：“粽子zòngzi应该yīnggāi是shì甜tián的de，还是háishi咸xián的de？”大家dàjiā说来说去shuōlái-shuōqù，谁shéi也yě不bù听tīng谁shéi的de。

所以suóyǐ，端午节duānwǔjié那天nàtiān，如果rúguǒ有yǒu中国zhōngguó朋友péngyǒu送sòng你nǐ粽子zòngzi，你nǐ可以kéyǐ先xiān问wèn一yí句jù：“甜tián的de还是háishi咸xián的de？”听tīng了le他tā的de回答huídá，你nǐ可能kěnéng就jiù知道zhīdào他tā是shì哪里nálǐ人rén了le。

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
长chánglong; length
一起yìqǐtogether
条tiáostrip; slip (as in 纸条)
鱼yúfish
包bāobag; sack
这样zhèyànglike this; this way
地方dìfangplace
河hériver
船chuánboat; ship
比赛bǐsàimatch; competition; game; to compete
有名yǒumíngfamous; well-known
故事gùshistory; tale

English (for the teacher)

The fifth day of the fifth lunar month is China’s Dragon Boat Festival. On this day, the rivers in many places are crowded with people. Long boats race each other on the water, and the front of every boat is made to look like a dragon. The people in the boats paddle together, and the people on the riverbank shout together: “Go!” People call them dragon boats.

Why this day? There is a famous story behind it. More than two thousand years ago, there was a man called Qu Yuan. He was a high official of the state of Chu, and he wrote poems too. He loved his country very much, but the king wouldn’t listen to him. Later, another state defeated his country, and Qu Yuan was so heartbroken that he jumped into a big river.

When people heard, they took boats out on the river to look for him at once, but no matter how hard they looked, they couldn’t find him. Afraid the fish in the river would eat Qu Yuan, they wrapped rice in leaves and put it in the river, so the fish would eat the rice and leave Qu Yuan alone.

More than two thousand years later, people still wrap rice like this, only now they don’t put it in the river; they eat it themselves. These are zongzi.

Not all zongzi are the same. Many northerners like sweet ones; many southerners like ones with meat, and egg yolk inside too. At every Dragon Boat Festival, someone online asks: “Should zongzi be sweet or salty?” People argue back and forth, and nobody gives in.

So on the day of the festival, if a Chinese friend gives you zongzi, you can ask first: “Sweet or salty?” From the answer, you may be able to tell where they’re from.