赛龙舟是中国端午节的习俗之一，也是端午节最重要的节日民俗活动之一，在中国南方地区普遍存在，在北方靠近河湖的城市也有赛龙舟习俗，而大部分是划旱龙舟舞龙船的形式。
关于赛龙舟的起源，有多种说法，有祭曹娥，祭屈原，祭水神或龙神等祭祀活动，其起源可追溯至战国时代。赛龙舟先后传入邻国日本、越南及英国等，是2010年广州亚运会正式比赛项目。
来源传说
据《史记》“屈原贾生列传”记载，屈原是战国时期楚怀王的大臣。其倡导举贤授能、富国强兵、联齐抗秦遭到贵族子兰等人强烈反对，屈原遭馋去职，被赶出了都城，流放到沅和湘流域。他在流放了的情况下，写下忧国忧民的《离骚》和《天问》、《九歌》等不朽诗篇。公元前278年，秦军攻破了楚国京都，屈原始终不忍舍弃自己祖国，于五月初五在写下绝笔作《怀沙》之后，抱石投汨罗江身死。
传说屈原死后，楚国百姓哀痛异常，纷纷涌到汨罗江边去凭吊屈原。渔夫们划起船只，在江上来回打捞他的真身。他们争先恐后，追至洞庭湖时不见踪迹。之后每年五月五日划龙舟以纪念之。借划龙舟驱散江中之鱼，以免鱼吃掉屈原的身体。
在湖南汨罗市，竞渡前必先往屈子祠朝庙，将龙头供在祠中神翁祭拜，披红布于龙头上，再安龙头于船上竞渡，既拜龙神，又纪念屈原。而在湖北的屈原家乡秭归，也有祭拜屈原的仪式流传。祭屈原之俗在《隋书·地理志》中有记载：“其迅楫齐驰，棹歌乱响，喧振水陆，观者如云。”唐刘禹锡《竞渡曲》自注：“竞渡始于武陵，及今举楫而相和之，其音咸呼云：‘何在’，斯沼屈之义。”
文化内涵
“龙舟竞渡”是在战国时代就已有的习俗。战国时期，人们在急鼓声中划刻成龙形的独木舟，做竞渡游戏，以娱神与乐人，此时的龙舟竞渡是祭仪中半宗教性、半娱乐性的节目。在两湖地区，祭屈原与赛龙舟是紧密相关的。可能屈原及曹娥、伍子胥等逝去后，当地人民也曾用魂舟送其灵魂归葬，故有此俗。但赛龙舟除纪念屈原之外，在各地人们还赋予了不同的寓意。
龙船竞渡前，先要请龙、祭神。如广东龙舟，在端午前要从水下起出，祭过在南海神庙中的南海神后，安上龙头、龙尾，再准备竞渡。并且买一对纸制小公鸡置龙船上，认为可保佑船平安。闽、台则往妈祖庙祭拜。有的直接在河边祭龙头，杀鸡滴血于龙头之上，如四川、贵州等个别地区。
赛龙舟前会举行各种祭祀、纪念之仪式，一般都是点香烛，烧纸钱，供以鸡、米、肉、供果、粽子等。如今这些含有迷信色彩朗仪式已很少见，但在过去，人们祭祀龙神庙时气氛很严肃，多祈求农业丰收、风调雨顺、去邪祟、攘灾异、事事如意，也保佑划船平安。用人们的话说，“图个吉利”，表达人们内心良好的愿望。
Dragon boat racing is one of the customs of the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival. It is also one of the most important folk activities of the Dragon Boat Festival. It is common in southern China. Dragon boat racing is also customary in cities near rivers and lakes in the north. Most of them are dry dragon boat dances. Dragon boat form.
There are many theories about the origin of dragon boat racing. There are sacrificial activities such as worshiping Cao E, worshiping Qu Yuan, worshiping the water god or the dragon god, etc. Its origin can be traced back to the Warring States Period. Dragon boat racing has been introduced to neighboring countries such as Japan, Vietnam and the United Kingdom, and became an official event of the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games.
Source legend
According to the “Biography of Qu Yuan Jia Sheng” in “Historical Records”, Qu Yuan was a minister of King Huai of Chu during the Warring States Period. His advocacy of promoting talents, enriching the country and strengthening the army, and uniting Qi to resist Qin was strongly opposed by the nobles Zilan and others. Qu Yuan was greedy and resigned, was driven out of the capital, and was exiled to the Yuan and Xiang River basins. While in exile, he wrote immortal poems such as “Li Sao”, “Heavenly Questions” and “Nine Songs”, which were concerned about the country and the people. In 278 BC, the Qin army captured Kyoto, the state of Chu. Qu Yuan could not bear to abandon his homeland. On May 5th, after writing his final work “Huaisha”, he bouldered into the Miluo River and died.
Legend has it that after Qu Yuan died, the people of Chu State were extremely sad and flocked to the Miluo River to pay their respects to Qu Yuan. The fishermen rowed their boats and fished for his true body back and forth on the river. They scrambled to catch up and disappeared when they reached Dongting Lake. After that, dragon boat racing was held every May 5th to commemorate the event. He rowed dragon boats to disperse the fish in the river to prevent them from eating Qu Yuan’s body.
In Miluo City, Hunan, before the ferry race, one must go to the Quzi Temple to pay homage to the gods, place the dragon head in the temple to worship the gods, put a red cloth on the dragon head, and then put the dragon head on the boat for the boat race, not only to worship the dragon god, but also to commemorate Qu Yuan. In Zigui, Qu Yuan’s hometown in Hubei, there are also rituals to worship Qu Yuan. The custom of worshiping Qu Yuan is recorded in “Book of Sui Dynasty: Geography”: “He galloped together quickly, sang and sang wildly, shaking the water and land, and the spectators were like clouds.” Tang Dynasty Liu Yuxi’s “Jingdu Song” notes: “The race begins In Wuling, and even today, when I hold up the ji and join each other, my voice is salty and I call out: ‘Where are you?’ This is the meaning of marsh Qu.”
Cultural connotation
“Dragon boat racing” is a custom that has existed since the Warring States Period. During the Warring States Period, people carved dragon-shaped canoes to the sound of drums and played boat racing games to entertain gods and people. At this time, dragon boat racing was a semi-religious and semi-entertaining program in rituals. In the two lakes area, worshiping Qu Yuan and dragon boat racing are closely related. Maybe after the deaths of Qu Yuan, Cao E, Wu Zixu, etc., the local people also used soul boats to send their souls to be buried, so this custom existed. But in addition to commemorating Qu Yuan, people in various places also attach different meanings to the dragon boat race.
Before the dragon boat race, the dragon must be invited and sacrificed to the gods. For example, the Guangdong dragon boat takes off from the water before the Dragon Boat Festival, worships the Queen of the South China Sea in the Nanhai Temple, installs the dragon head and tail, and then prepares for the race. He also bought a pair of paper roosters and placed them on the dragon boat, thinking that they would protect the boat’s safety. People from Fujian and Taiwan go to Mazu Temple to worship. Some people offer sacrifices to the dragon’s head directly by the river, killing chickens and dripping blood on the dragon’s head, such as in Sichuan, Guizhou and other areas.
Various sacrificial and commemorative ceremonies will be held before the dragon boat race, usually lighting incense and candles, burning paper money, and offering chickens, rice, meat, fruits, rice dumplings, etc. Nowadays, these bright and superstitious rituals are rare, but in the past, people worshiped the dragon temple in a very solemn atmosphere, praying for a good agricultural harvest, good weather, getting rid of evil spirits, warding off disasters, everything goes well, and for safe boating. In people’s words, “for good luck” expresses people’s inner good wishes.