The origins of Zongzi can actually be divided into two layers: its true historical roots and the most popular folklore.
1. True Historical Origins: Ancient Rituals and Summer Solstice Customs
Historically, Zongzi appeared long before the Dragon Boat Festival, and its true origin has nothing to do with Qu Yuan:
Worshipping Ancestors and Gods: As early as the Spring and Autumn period, ancient Chinese people would wrap rice or millet in plant leaves as offerings to worship gods and ancestors during festivals.
Seasonal Food for the Summer Solstice: Originally, Zongzi was eaten during the Summer Solstice to balance Yin and Yang and ward off diseases. Ancient people believed that wrapping the "Yang" grain (millet) in the "Yin" leaves created a harmonious balance.
Archaeological Evidence: Recent archaeological discoveries have proven this. In Warring States period tombs in Henan and Anhui, archaeologists found 2,000-year-old "plant-wrapped bundles" containing unhusked rice and meat. This proves that a "Zongzi-like" food already existed in the State of Chu during Qu Yuan's era for high-level sacrificial rituals.
2. The Most Popular Legend: Commemorating Qu Yuan
The idea that eating Zongzi during the Dragon Boat Festival is to commemorate Qu Yuan is deeply rooted in people's minds, but it is actually a cultural meaning given by later generations:
The Legend: Legend has it that during the Warring States period, Qu Yuan, a minister of the State of Chu, drowned himself in the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. To prevent fish and shrimp from eating his body, locals threw bamboo tubes filled with rice into the river to mourn him. This was the earliest form of "Zongzi."
Formation of the Legend: This story first appeared in Xu Qixieji, a collection of supernatural tales from the Liang Dynasty of the Southern Dynasties. The book records that Qu Yuan appeared in a dream, teaching people to wrap the rice in neem tree leaves and tie them with five-color silk threads to prevent river dragons from stealing the food. Since then, eating Zongzi was officially linked to commemorating Qu Yuan.
3. Evolution and Establishment of the Custom
Becoming a Dragon Boat Festival Food: The connection between Zongzi and the Dragon Boat Festival was not officially established until the Jin Dynasty. According to the Western Jin Dynasty text Fengtu Ji, people were already cooking "Jiaoshu" (an ancient name for Zongzi) during the Midsummer Dragon Boat Festival, officially making it a festive food.
Evolution of Shape and Flavor: By the Tang Dynasty, the rice used for Zongzi was "as white and smooth as jade," and cone and diamond shapes appeared. During the Song Dynasty, "candied fruit Zongzi" emerged. In the Yuan and Ming dynasties, the wrapping materials gradually evolved into the bamboo and reed leaves we see today, and rich fillings like red bean paste and fresh meat were introduced. Ultimately, this formed today's diverse Zongzi culture with distinct northern and southern flavors.
