Zigui County

Introduction to Zigui County

Zigui County is located on the river bank of Xiling Gorge, in the west of Hubei Province, covering an area of 2427 square kilometers as well as the population of 423,000. In history, Zigui County was first set up in Western Han Dynasty and changed her name for several times, but in 1914, it was renamed as Zigui County.

Zigui County has abundant mineral resources including: coal, iron, copper, phosphorus, silica, barite etc.

Dragon Boat Festival of Zigui County

Zigui is the hometown of Qu Yuan, the world famous Romantic poet. Besides, it is the birthplace of the Dragon Boat Festival. For thousands of years, Zigui people developed a unique annual Dragon Boat Festival in order to commemorate Qu Yuan . The Dragon Boat Festival of Zigui has been listed on the national non-material cultural heritage protection list.

The Dragon Boat Festival was formed in pre-Qin Dynasty, developed in Han and Wei dynasties, flourished in Tang Dynasty and was preserved to present. The festival contains rich customs and diverse cultural elements.

On May 5th in Chinese lunar calendar, people gathering at Qu Yuan Temple to pay homage to Qu Yuan. What's more, people driving dragon boat on the river and singing "Youjiang" to invoke Qu Yuan's soul back to Zigui. Besides, there are the dragon boat races. It is a cultural activity which has a spectacular scene. Moreover, in Ming Dynasty, the farmers which had been to private school, self- organized a poetry meeting and was preserved up to now. During the Dragon Boat Festival, people will gather at the Qu Yuan Temple, chanting Chu Ci or write new poems and chant it. Furthermore, during the festival, people have the customs to eat rice dumplings, drinking realgar wine (Chinese liquor seasoned with realgar), hanging wormwood and calamus, making sachets, eating salted eggs and entertaining in the rice field etc.