RESEARCH ON THE CULTURAL SYMBOLISM OF THE MILUO RIVER DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL IN HUNAN PROVINCE, CHINA

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Introduction: The Miluo River Dragon Boat Festival, as an important component of traditional Chinese culture, embodies a rich historical heritage and national spirit within its cultural symbol system. In the context of globalization and modernization, this cultural legacy faces both challenges to its transmission and opportunities for innovation. Objectives: 1) To explore the historical evolution of the cultural symbols of the Miluo River Dragon Boat Festival and analyze their cultural connotations and symbolic meanings across different historical periods. 2) To construct a cultural symbol system for the Miluo River Dragon Boat Festival, identify core and variable symbols, and examine their paths of inheritance and innovation in contemporary society. Method: This study employed a qualitative research paradigm, combining documentary analysis with autoethnography. As a native of Miluo, the researcher conducted a systematic interpretation of the cultural practices of local inheritance communities (including folklore experts, dragon boat rowers, and residents) in Miluo City, Hunan Province (the Miluo River basin), based on long-term participatory observation and cultural reflection on the Dragon Boat Festival customs. Result: 1) The cultural symbols of the Miluo River Dragon Boat Festival have evolved from ancient dragon worship and plague prevention to commemorating Qu Yuan, with their connotations continuously enriching. 2) The symbol system can be categorized into three levels: material symbols (zongzi, dragon boats, wormwood), behavioral symbols (dragon boat racing, sacrificial rituals, hanging calamus), and spiritual symbols (Qu Yuan's spirit, unity, and prayer for blessings). 3) Core symbols (the festival date, the original meaning of plague prevention) exhibit high stability, ensuring traditional continuity, while variable symbols (the shift from dragon worship to commemorating Qu Yuan, integration with sports and tourism) reflect cultural adaptability. Based on these findings, a modern transformation model for the cultural symbols of the Dragon Boat Festival was constructed. Conclusion: The findings reveal that the cultural symbol system of the Miluo River Dragon Boat Festival possesses both a stable core and a dynamic evolutionary mechanism. Its inheritance requires safeguarding core symbols while promoting the innovative transformation of variable symbols through digital media and creative industries, providing theoretical support and practical pathways for the modernization of traditional culture.