Focus Interview | Mianmianjia National Poetry Society on Dragon Boat Festival Day | Activities | National Conditions

In 2009, the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival was included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. The content of applying for the World Heritage includes the Dragon Boat Festival cultural customs in Zigui and Huangshi, Hubei, Miluo, Hunan, and Suzhou, Jiangsu. In addition to dragon boat racing and eating Zongzi, these customs also include various contents such as poetry festival, Shenzhou Festival, dragon lantern dance, and sacrificial ceremonies. So how has the inheritance and development of these Dragon Boat Festival cultures been in recent years?

Lepingli in Zigui, Hubei is the birthplace of patriotic poet Qu Yuan. Every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, a poetry festival is held here to commemorate the immortal spirit of Qu Yuan.

The Saotan Poetry Society originated in the Ming and Qing dynasties, with its members mainly consisting of peasant poets, hence it is also known as the "Mud legged Poetry Society". In 1982, the Poetry Society resumed its activities. For many years, members of the Poetry Society have persisted in poetry creation. Every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, members of the community will return from all directions, regardless of wind or rain, to the Qu Yuan Temple in Lepingli to commemorate Qu Yuan with poetry.

The poetry recited by the members is in a vulgar style. Sao style poetry originated from Qu Yuan's works such as "Li Sao" and "Ode to Oranges". Farmers and poets inherit the culture of Qu Yuan, follow the poetic style of thousands of years, learn ancient rhymes, sing Chu tunes, and study "Sao style poetry".

Song Wenxing, a 58 year old member of the Poetry Society, is an authentic farmer from Zigui. Influenced by the strong local poetry culture, Song Wenxing has been very interested in poetry and rhythm since childhood. Since joining the poetry club, Song Wenxing has been writing poetry almost every day, often with a hoe and poetry. The navel oranges and pumpkins in the fields, agriculture, and seasons can all be sources of his poetry. He has published 1200 poems. After participating in poetry creation, his whole spirit and spirit have changed.

The inheritance of the Poetry Society from generation to generation is also a steadfast commitment to Qu Yuan's culture and patriotic spirit. This perseverance and empathy are everywhere in Qu Yuan's hometown.

74 year old Huang Jiazhao is a native of Lepingli and a representative inheritor of the city level intangible cultural heritage of "Zigui Saotan Poetry". He participated in the activities of the Sanlu Saotan Poetry Society from a young age and was deeply influenced by poetry. In 2009, he joined the poetry society and studied under the then temple keeper Xu Zhengduan of Qu Yuan Temple. After Xu Zhengduan's death in 2019, Huang Jiazhao became the new temple keeper. Dust removal, burning incense, attracting guests, and guarding Qu Yuan Temple. Although the daily content may seem trivial and plain, in his heart it is solemn and sacred.

However, such inheritance and persistence have also faced difficulties. In the 1990s, the Saotan Poetry Society was once difficult to sustain.

Careful protection of the cultural heritage left by our ancestors is essential for better inheritance of historical context. Since 2013, the local government in Zigui has increased its support for poetry societies. Strive for special funds for the Sanlu Saotan Poetry Society, organize various related activities, invite poetry experts to train, and edit and publish poetry collections for the members. Nowadays, the number of members of the Poetry Society has grown from over a dozen to over 130, and the Poetry Society has also developed into a poetry festival with the participation of the whole population.

In recent years, the local community has continuously innovated and developed poetry societies to expand their cultural brand influence. Under the influence of the "Sanlu Saotan Poetry Society", more folk poetry societies have also emerged, attracting poets and clubs from all over the country to participate in activities in Zigui.

In the Xisai Mountain area of Huangshi, Hubei Province, a grand ceremony is held every year during the Dragon Boat Festival. Unlike dragon boat races, this is the main activity of the Xisai Divine Boat Festival, where the tied divine boats are put into the river and floated away.

The Xisai Divine Boat Festival is a Dragon Boat Festival event voluntarily organized by the public, with the core theme of mosquito repellent, evil elimination, disaster prevention, disease prevention, and seeking safety and health, as well as longevity. It has a long history. The Xisai Divine Boat Festival lasted for a total of 40 days and is currently one of the longest sacrificial and prayer activities during the Dragon Boat Festival in China.

It is not easy to create a divine boat with rich cultural connotations. Every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, residents of Liangshan Village in Xisaishan District, such as You Qiulun and his team, enter the busiest time of the year. You Qiulun is 43 years old this year. His grandfather is a famous folk craftsman in that area, and he used to be responsible for the tying process of Shenzhou. After his grandfather passed away, You Qiulun took over the mantle.

The tying process of Shenzhou involves processes such as clay sculpture, carving, and pasting, and it takes 130 days for a single person to make. After the Spring Festival, those who tie the divine boat need to prepare clay blocks, clothing, etc. The entire production process is tedious and time-consuming, and the cost of labor and materials is only a few thousand yuan. You Qiulun usually has other work, but he never neglects to tie the divine boat. According to the map carefully preserved by his grandfather, he persisted in tying the divine boat for 10 years without interruption.

In order to prevent the loss of this craft, in recent years, the local government has increased its protection efforts for the Xisai Divine Boat Association and invested a considerable amount of protection funds. With the support of protective funds, You Qiulun also found helpers, one is his grandfather's junior brother - a teacher in his 70s, and the other is a young man in his 30s who loves handicrafts.

Nowadays, after years of inheritance and development, the Xisai Divine Boat Festival is no longer just a simple ritual and prayer activity, but has become an important lever for promoting cultural and tourism integration in the local area.

The Dragon Boat Festival in our country is a symbol of sustainable civilization. The cultural customs of the Dragon Boat Festival in the three provinces and four regions that participated in the application for World Heritage at that time are constantly being inherited and developed, blooming with new brilliance. In Suzhou, Jiangsu, the ritual of worshiping Wu Zixu and the dance of dragon lanterns have become indispensable and important festive activities during the local Dragon Boat Festival.

It has thousands of years of profound national cultural heritage, and today we still use this activity to express the Chinese people's concept of civilization, coordinate with nature, attach importance to family and social unity, emphasize ethics, and inherit the national sentiment.

Strolling in the atmosphere of the Dragon Boat Festival, people insert mugwort, race dragon boats, recite poetry, commemorate ancestors, experience various Dragon Boat culture, and reflect a strong sense of patriotism. As a treasure of traditional Chinese culture, the Dragon Boat Festival showcases profound charm and contemporary charm, not only as a festival itself, but also in its profound cultural inheritance and interpretation. Inheriting the excellent traditional Chinese culture and continuing to draw nutrients from it, firmly grasping the outstanding continuity of Chinese civilization at a new historical starting point, and continuing to promote the creative transformation and innovative development of Chinese excellent traditional culture, can we build a good modern civilization of the Chinese nation.