导语 

During the Dragon Boat Festival in May, families hang mugwort and calamus by their doors. But did you know that behind this tradition lies a thrilling story?

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, a demon arrived at Mount Qingcheng in Bashu. Calling himself the "Demon Lord of Qingcheng," he spread plagues wherever he went, bringing suffering to the people. With no other solution, the villagers turned to one man for help: the Daoist Celestial Master, Zhang Daoling.

I. The Celestial Master Zhang

Zhang Daoling, the founder of Daoism. According to folk legend, he was a descendant of Zhang Liang, and his mother conceived him after dreaming that the Big Dipper entered her womb. Though he mastered the Five Classics at a young age, he refused official office and devoted himself entirely to cultivating the Dao.

In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, plagues swept across Bashu. On Mount Heming, Zhang Daoling used talisman water to heal the sick, and his reputation spread farther and farther. Whenever disaster struck, the people thought of him first. Stories of his demon-slaying exploits circulated everywhere: battling ghost generals from all directions, subduing giant serpents that terrorized villages. The tales became almost mythical. So whenever people encountered trouble beyond their power, they would say, "Go find the Celestial Master Zhang!"

II. The Evil Moon Arrives

One day, in a village beneath Mount Qingcheng, several young men gathered together, each wearing a troubled expression.

"Another person collapsed. Burning with fever and rambling nonsense."

"How many is that now? It must be that Demon Lord spreading plague again!"

"If this continues, our whole village is finished."

A young man named A'niu suddenly stood up. "I'll go to Mount Heming and ask the Celestial Master for help!"

III. The Battle of Sorcery

On Mount Heming, the Celestial Master sat cross-legged in meditation. He wore a tasseled crown and a crimson Eight Trigrams robe. Beside him lay a fierce golden-furred tiger, while across his knees rested a demon-subduing sword. After hearing A'niu's account, Zhang Daoling rose to his feet and patted the tiger's head. "Come. Let us meet this Demon Lord." The tiger shook its mane and let out a deep growl.

Upon Mount Qingcheng, the Celestial Master drew talismans with swift strokes. The talisman water transformed into golden light that shot toward the village below, and the villagers' fevers slowly began to subside.

Hidden within a mass of black mist, the Demon Lord shrieked, "Zhang Daoling, stay out of this!" With a wave of his hand, swarms of poisonous insects poured across the mountains like dark clouds.

Zhang's disciples, Wang Chang and Zhao Sheng, hurriedly ignited bundles of mugwort.

Thick smoke billowed into the air, and the poisonous creatures dared not approach.

Back and forth they fought, for three days and three nights, yet neither side gained victory.

IV. Transformation into Sacred Herbs

On the morning of the fourth day, Zhang Daoling descended the mountain to check on the villagers' condition. The moment he left, the Demon Lord appeared. Exhaling a cloud of black vapor, he poisoned the golden-furred tiger to death and shattered the demon-subduing sword. The Demon Lord laughed triumphantly. "Zhang Daoling! Without your mount and your sword, how will you defeat me now?" Laughing wildly, he transformed into black smoke and fled toward the mountains beyond.

He stared at the withered yellow mugwort and fell into deep thought.

His disciple Wang Chang grew anxious. "Master, the demon is getting away! We must chase it!"

Zhang Daoling did not move. He bent down, picked up a stalk of mugwort from the corner, held it in his palm, and slowly spoke:

"This is mugwort. It grows on sunlit mountain slopes and is gathered during the Dragon Boat Festival, imbued with the strongest yang energy of heaven and earth. It can ‘ward off evil and slay malicious spirits.' Its very nature is the nemesis of dark forces."

Wang Chang asked, half understanding, "Master, are you going to use mugwort to drive away the demon?"

Zhang Tianshi shook his head.

"Mugwort possesses pure yang nature and immense power. In ordinary times, it is enough for dispelling evil and warding off pestilence. But today is different. That fiend is arrogant and vicious. What we need now is a far more domineering force of subjugation."

"Today, I will give it form." "Master, what form?" the disciple hurriedly asked. "The form of my mount. The form of a tiger. The tiger is a creature of pure yang, the king of all beasts. The nature of mugwort is pure yang, and the form of the tiger is also pure yang. Yang energy shall be its soul, tiger form its spirit. With both the pure yang nature and the fierce might of a tiger, it shall become a divine beast even stronger than my golden-furred tiger!"

No sooner had he spoken than Zhang Daoling grabbed a handful of mugwort, formed a hand seal, and chanted:

"Mugwort was but common grass,
On Dragon Boat Day it becomes a treasure. With one spark of true yang fire,
Transform into a roaring tiger!"

The moment the words fell, the dry mugwort burst into golden light. When the radiance faded, a majestic tiger stood before them. Its entire body gleamed golden, carrying the distinct fragrance of mugwort. Its eyes blazed like fire, and a single roar shook the mountains and valleys.

Zhang Daoling then plucked a calamus leaf and waved it in the wind:

"Calamus was but a common leaf,
Now become a demon-slaying sword. With one blade of righteous qi,
No evil spirit dares approach!"

At once, the calamus leaf transformed into a sword shining with blue light, long and razor sharp.

Zhang Daoling leapt onto the mugwort tiger, raised the calamus sword, and shouted with lightning in his eyes:

"Demon, where do you think you're going!"

The mugwort tiger charged like the wind. Zhang Daoling raised the calamus sword and struck the demon dead with a single slash.

V. Legacy

When the news reached the village, the people came beating drums and gongs to thank Zhang Daoling.

From that day onward, every year on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, families would shape mugwort into tiger forms and hang them on their doors. Thus, the "Mugwort Tiger" became the finest talisman for protecting the home.

The villagers also composed a folk rhyme that was passed down through generations:

"On the fifth day of the fifth month at noon,
The Celestial Master rides the Mugwort Tiger.
The Calamus Sword slays a hundred evils,
Demons all fall into the tiger's jaws!"

So you see, hanging mugwort during the Dragon Boat Festival is more than just a custom. It embodies the wisdom of "nature and form": transforming invisible power into visible protection, turning passive defense into active guardianship.

That wisp of mugwort fragrance is not merely the scent of grass. It is the Chinese belief in righteous qi: when yang energy dwells within, evil cannot invade; when soul and spirit unite, all wickedness is repelled. That is the true meaning of Zhang Daoling riding the Mugwort Tiger.