THE WISDOM OF HEALTH AND WELL-BEING: THE “THREE DUANWU FESTIVALS” OF THE ENSHI TUJIA ETHNIC GROUP AND THE CULTURAL CODE OF ZONGZI (GLUTINOUS RICE DUMPLINGS)

Abstract

This study focuses on the zongzi culture within the “Three Duanwu Festivals” (First Duanwu, Grand Duanwu, and Last Duanwu) of the Enshi Tujia Ethnic Group, aiming to explore the connotations of its local wisdom and the pathways for its living inheritance in the contemporary era. An analysis reveals that this zongzi culture possesses both regional characteristics and cultural adaptability, and essentially embodies three dimensions of local wisdom. Firstly, it links the festive rhythm with natural laws through the “Three Duanwu” festival timeline, which materializes the Tujia people’s perception of time. Secondly, it integrates the emotions of clan cohesion with “flavor memories” by means of “evil-warding” customs and family interactions, making zongzi a carrier for maintaining family bonds. Thirdly, it relies on local bamboo leaves from the Wuling Mountain Area to unify diet and health preservation, practicing the concept of “food as medicine”.

In contemporary inheritance, this culture expands its pathways from a multi-sensory perspective based on the temporal logic of the “Three Duanwu” Festivals. It conveys cultural connotations by connecting the senses of taste, smell, touch, hearing, and sight, ultimately achieving the living continuation of the core symbols of “warding off evil for well-being, clan cohesion, and harmonious coexistence with nature”. This provides a practical model for the innovative inheritance of ethnic intangible cultural heritage.