Dragon Boat Festival’s Zongzi: Ancient Rituals to Modern china trademark
On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, the banks of the Miluo River echo with drumbeats as dragon boats slice through the water. Women fold green bamboo leaves around glistening glutinous rice, casting the bundles into the river—a ritual spanning millennia, encoding China’s journey from totemic worship to trademark protection.
I. Dragon Boat Racing: The Rewritten Origins of Duanwu
Duanwu’s roots predate Qu Yuan’s legendary sacrifice. In the ancient Baiyue region (modern Yangtze Delta and beyond), tribes worshipping dragon totems raced canoe-like “dragon boats” during midsummer rituals, offering rice dumplings to appease the river dragon. As historian Wen Yiduo noted in Studies on Duanwu: “Zongzi fed the dragon, while dragon boats raced in its honor.”
History later infused the festival with new meaning. When poet Qu Yuan drowned himself in the Miluo River (278 BCE), locals raced boats to retrieve his body and threw rice balls to distract fish—a mourning ritual that merged with existing dragon worship. By the 6th century, texts like Supplementary Records of Qi explicitly linked zongzi to Qu Yuan, cementing his status as a symbol of loyalty. State endorsement transformed local rites into a national tradition, though in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, the festival still honors Wu Zixu, a martyred minister of Wu.
The festival’s evolution reveals cultural layering:
- Epidemic Prevention: Hanging mugwort and drinking realgar wine derive from northern “evil-month” customs
- Sacrificial Rites: Dragon boating and zongzi preserve Baiyue’s totemic heritage
- Ethical Symbolism: Qu Yuan’s narrative injected Confucian virtues, ensuring cross-regional appeal
II. From Ritual Offerings to Branded Goods: The Industrial Evolution of Zongzi
Zongzi existed centuries before Qu Yuan. Shuowen Jiezi (121 CE) documented “reed-leaf-wrapped rice,” while the Jin Dynasty (266–420) called it jiaoshu (“horned millet”)—a northern ancestor-offering shaped like ox horns. Its transformation from ritual object to festive staple unfolded through innovations:
Technical Upgrades: Han Dynasty’s simple wraps evolved into Jin-era layered stuffings (glutinous rice, millet, herbs). Ming pharmacologist Li Shizhen described zongzi in Compendium of Materia Medica: “Pyramid-shaped, wrapped in indocalamus leaves.” By the Qing Dynasty, fillings exploded with creativity: red bean paste, pine nuts, and Jinhua ham.
Regional Flavors:
- Northern Simplicity: Date-filled zongzi dipped in sugar; earthy millet versions
- Jiangnan Elegance: Huzhou’s “pillow-shaped” zongzi; Jiaxing’s soy-marinated pork
- Lingnan Extravagance: Cantonese zongzi stuffed with ham, salted egg yolk, and scallops
Cultural Codification: Song Dynasty poets like Su Dongpo praised “fruit-filled zongzi.” During Ming-Qing eras, scholars ate pencil-shaped bizong (“must succeed”) for exam luck. In 2009, UNESCO recognized Duanwu as intangible heritage, validating zongzi’s global cultural status.
Table: Evolution of Zongzi Form and Meaning
| Era | Name & Shape | Core Ingredients | Cultural Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Qin–Han | Jiaoshu (horn-shaped) | Millet | Ancestor worship |
| Jin–Tang | Yizhi zong (cone) | Glutinous rice, herbs | Health & wisdom |
| Song–Yuan | Fruit zong | Fruit, nuts | Literary refinement |
| Ming–Qing | Bizong (slender) | Bean paste, meat | Exam success, family continuity |
| Modern | Frozen/mini zong | Diverse fillings | Festive food, regional branding |
III. Trademark Wars: When Tradition Meets Commerce
As zongzi industrialized in the 21st century, fierce brand battles erupted.
In 2006, Hainan’s Zhao Yun registered “Nada” zongzi, aiming to commercialize his hometown specialty. Meanwhile, Zeng Dexian trademarked “Ruixi” zongzi. Yet trademark registration alone couldn’t drive prosperity. Zeng admitted: “My company lacked resources to build the Ruixi brand,” eventually donating the trademark to local government. Zhao Yun struggled with market penetration: “I wanted collaboration, but officials never approached me.”
Hainan’s dilemma exposed core industry challenges: fragmented trademarks, weak supply chains, and inconsistent standards. Ding’an County broke this cycle via a “Geographical Indication (GI) + enterprise sub-brands” model. After securing the GI certification through China trademark registration in 2014, the county government unified quality controls. Forty companies leveraged 46 sub-trademarks under the GI umbrella, achieving ¥70 million sales by 2015. This proved: Government-guided branding + enterprise execution = scalable success.
Trademark protection also demands legal vigilance. In 2024, Henan authorities penalized a company ¥50,000 for altering a licensed bio-trademark on zongzi packaging—a “disguised counterfeiting” case. Similar rulings occurred in Anhui, where an e-commerce seller misused “Xiaomi” trademarks on ear-cleaning tools, fined ¥200,000. Enterprises must conduct thorough China trademark search before branding to avoid infringement.
Table: Zongzi Branding Models Compared
| Strategy | Case Study | Mechanism | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual TM | Nada Zongzi | Solo registration, retail sales | Limited market reach |
| TM Inactivity | Ruixi Zongzi | Registration without utilization | Brand value unrealized |
| GI Leadership | Ding’an Zongzi | GI + enterprise sub-brands | ¥70M sales, 40+ firms unified |
| Tech Partnership | Ruixi Experiment | Workshops provide recipes; factories produce | Industrialization testing |
IV. Cultural Renaissance: Tradition and Commerce in Dialogue
In Qiaotou Town, Hainan, sweet potato farmers built “potato mansions” after branding their produce “Qiaosha Sweet Potato.” Adopting a “company + cooperative + farmer” model, they boosted prices from ¥1 to ¥8/jin, proving brand equity can elevate rural economies. Zongzi producers now replicate this: branding adds value; profits revive tradition.
Protection and innovation must coexist. Legally, courts shield cultural assets—as in Ma’anshan’s 2024 ruling against counterfeit auto trademark sales (defendants jailed and fined). Technologically, global standards empower tradition: China’s 2019 Codex Alimentarius zongzi standard opened international markets. Partnering with a professional China trademark agency ensures IP strategies align with these frameworks.
The scent of zongzi leaves bridges eras—from Baiyue dragon worship to Qu Yuan’s memorials, from Jin Dynasty jiaoshu to vacuum-packed Wufangzhai delicacies. Each bite carries China’s reverence for nature, loyalty, and kinship.
Today’s brand battles testify to Duanwu’s living legacy. As zongzi morphs from altar offering to e-commerce star, and dragon boat drums echo in boardroom strategies, the festival’s spirit endures—steaming hot, legally shielded, and globally branded.
The zongzi on your plate remains the same offering cast into rivers 2,000 years ago. Only now, its bamboo casing is replaced by modern vessels: legal safeguards and brand empowerment.
