Wheat cake and Duanwu Festival in Wenling
chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2019-01-29
Print PrintWheat cakes are also eaten at some other festivals.
Actually, in addition to the Duanwu Festival, wheat cakes are eaten at some other festivals, such as the Beginning of Summer (seventh solar term), the birth anniversary of Lord Guan on the 13th day of the fifth lunar month and the birth anniversary of Lord Yang on the 18th day of of the fifth lunar month. A folk proverb in Wenling says that it is a lifetime regret not to eat wheat cakes at the Beginning of Summer term.
A book edited by Qi Xuebiao, a phonologist and a native of Zeguo Town, Wenling in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), records that at the Beginning of summer, meat wrapped in thin pan cakes is eaten with bitter vegetables, which is called "intoxicating summer". Besides Wenling, the custom of eating wheat cakes at the Beginning of Summer was observed in all parts of Taizhou, and was depicted in an ancient poem.
The Emperor Guan temples are built in all parts of Wenling and according to custom wheat cakes are eaten all over Wenling on the birth anniversary of Emperor Guan on the 13th day of the fifth month of the lunar year.
More importance is attached to eating wheat cakes at the Duanwu Festival, which is thought to be perfectly justified by the Wenling natives. On the 18th day of the fifth lunar month, the birth anniversary of Lord Yang, who is worshiped at Qianhuang village, every household in the village dines on wheat cakes. According to Daxi Town Annals, a temple fair was held at Daxi town on the 23th day of the fourth lunar month and on that day wheat cakes could be found in every household.