Amidst the wave of modernization in early Republican Periods, how did people perceive traditional Dragon Boat Festival customs and the commemoration of Qu Yuan? With the widespread circulation of newspapers and periodicals, we are able to directly examine the public opinion and societal discourse during that time. This study finds that a substantial number of Dragon Boat Festival-themed articles appeared in Shanghai newspapers between 1918 and 1929. Accordingly,the second section traces the emergence of the Dragon Boat Festival special editions, illustrating how they originated from the newspapers published by entertainment venues and later expanded in influence through Shenbao – Ziyou tan (Free Talk), ultimately shaping a new mode of festival-related writing. The third section explores the representation of historical legends associated with the festival, health-related knowledge, and frolic articles (游戲文章), analyzing their content and expressive styles. The fourth section interprets the frequent appearances of “Sanjie shouzhang 三節收帳” (debt settlements across three major festivals) and “Xin Wu Du” (new five venoms) in the festival-themed articles in early Republican Periods, exploring the social realities and psychological reflections reflected in these writings. The fifth section discusses the public’s perspectives on commemorating Qu Yuan, including reflections on his contemporary significance and debates surrounding the issue of suicide. Overall, Dragon Boat Festival articles in 1920s newspapers closely engaged with societal currents, reflecting the public’s perceptions and sentiments at the time. By recontextualizing traditional symbols with a touch of humor and wit, these writings integrated the festival’s traditions into the modern era.
Page：
125-172
Keywords：
Dragon Boat Festival, Qu Yuan, newspapers and periodicals, commemorative, frolic article
BULLETIN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CHINESE LITERATURE NATIONAL CHENGCHI UNIVERSITY NO.43
