【正文】
number of ducks are released from the big wooden boat into the river for all the racers to catch amid [?‘mid] (在… 之中)thunderous cheers of spectators on the banks.,第二十六頁,共三十八頁。,Hubei Province,1. Along the Miluo River in Hubei Province, the festival celebrators hold a grand opening ceremony before the race starts. 2. At the ceremony dozonds of men in new clothes, with burning candles in hands, walk around boats three times to show worship of Lu Ban.,第二十四頁,共三十八頁。,The dragonboat races symbolize the many attempts to rescue and recover Qu‘s body. A typical dragon boat ranges from 50100 feet in length, with a beam (梁)of about 5.5 feet, accommodating two paddlers seated side by side.,第二十二頁,共三十八頁。,Ingredients of rice dumplings,Ingredients such as beans, lotus seeds(蓮子), chestnuts(栗子), pork and the yolk [j?uk] (蛋黃)of a salted duck egg are often added to the glutinous rice.,第二十頁,共三十八頁。,Rice Dumplings,Rice Dumpling is a pyramid dumpling made of glutinous [‘ɡlu:tin?s] rice(糯米)wrapped in bamboo or reed (蘆葦)leaves.,第十八頁,共三十八頁。,Another view is that the festival is originated from the taboo 禁忌 of evil days. The fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar is traditionally considered an evil month and the 5th of the month is particularly a bad day, so a lot of taboo had been developed.,第十六頁,共三十八頁。,This is said to be the origin of the present nationwide custom, which is the common people’s expression of grief over Qu’s death.,第十四頁,共三十八頁。,He saw the gradual decline of his motherland, the Chu State. And when he heard that the Chu State was defeated by the strong Qin State, he was so despaired that he ended his life by flinging himself into the Miluo River.,第十二頁,共三十八頁。,However, when a di