Qu Yuan2 was born in 340BC in an aristocratic family in the State of Chu3 (present day Jiang Ling2 Xian4 in Hubei province). It was during the period of Warring States (453BC to 221BC) of the Zhou Dynasty (1134BC to 250BC). He was the first man who had been officially recorded in Chinese history as a poet cum scholar. In Chinese classic history besides the Shi Jing (the Book of Odes) the only important poetic work during the Zhou Dynasty was Chu3 Ci2 (Elegies of Chu3) which was made up to large extent of poems by Qu Yuan2.

Mei2 Huai2 (reign 328BC to 298BC) the ruler of Chu3 employed Qu Yuan2 as the Minister of Law and Ordinances. All the laws in the State of Chu3 were drafted by him. He was very famous in the Chu3 Court. But he offened the powerful chief eunuch Jin4 Shang4. He disagreed with the chief eunuch over the policy of foreign affairs. The chief eunuch was not happy with Qu Yuan2 either. They could see eye to eye to each other. The chief eunuch lied and told the ruler Mei2 Huai2,

"Qu Yuan2 is too proud and is not respecting you. He is bragging that nothing could be done without him. Every one in the country knows about it except you, your highness".

Mei2 Huai2 was furious. He sacked Qu Yuan2 as a Minister and put him to work as an ordinary clerk in the Ministry.

In 299BC Ying2 Ji2 the ruler of the State of Qin2 (present day Feng3 Xiang2 Xian4 in Shaanxi province) invited Mei2 Huai2 for a conference in Wu3 Guan (present day Wu3 Guan city in Shaanxi province). Qu Yuan2 advised Mei2 Huai2 not to go. But the youngest son of Mei2 Huai2 named Mei2 Lan2 told his father to attend. He argued that Qin2 was a very powerful State and if he were to stay away from the conference the ruler of Qin2 could be infuriated by his absence and Qin2 might attack Chu3. Mei2 Huai2 attended the conference. He was incarcerated by the ruler of Qin2 when the conference was over. He died in the hands of Qin2 the following year in 298BC. His elder son succeeded him as the ruler of Chu3.

Qu Yuan2 criticised Mei2 Lan2 for telling his father to go for the conference. Mei2 Lan2 was ashamed of himself and at the same time angry at Qu Yuan2's criticism. Mei2 Lan2 ostracized Qu Yuan2 to the barbaric land south of the capital Jiang Ling2 (present day Jiang Ling2 city in Hubei province).

While on his way to exile Qu yuan2 arrived at the river Mi Luo2 (present day near Xing Yin Xian4 in Hunan province). He wandered around in this region for sometime. During his wanderings he composed the Li Sao which was an allegorical of himself searching for an understanding ruler to serve. More than half of Li Sao was about the shaman's journey in search of the divinity. The shaman rode the wind and clouds, straddled the sun, the moon and voyaged outside the universe.

Qu Yuan2 continued to wander around the banks of Mi Luo2 River pouring forth his soul in verses. He grew thiner and thiner. One day a fisherman met him at the bank of the river. He recognised Qu Yuan2 and said to him,

"Are you not the famous Minister of Law in the Court? What make you rambling around here?"

Qu Yuan2 replied, "The whole world is dirty and I am the only one who is clean. They are all drunk and I am the only one who is awake. That was the reason that I was dismissed".

The fisherman said, "The true sage does not quarrel with his environment but adapts himself to it. If you say the whole world is dirty, why can't you go with the world and make it clean. If you say they are all drunk why can't you drink with them and teach them not to drink excessively."

Qu Yuan2 replied, "If one just has a bathe one will not put on dirty clothes. How should one allow his pure body to be dirtied by unclean clothes. I rather have a grave in the bellies of the fish that swim in the river than being buried among the filth and the corruption of this world".

The fisherman went off laughing away singing, "I will wash my tassels if the water is sweet and clean; If the water is dirty I will not even put my feet on it".

Qu Yuan2 felt with despair and sad. He hated the corrupted government of his country. He felt he should not be punished for being too loyal to the ruler of his country. He tied a big rock over his body and jumped into the river. He disappeared in the water.

People living along the banks of Mi Luo2 River heard of his disappearance in the river. They rushed out to the river with their boats trying to rescue him. They could not find him. They could not even find his body. Fearing that the fish might devour his body, people made glutinous rice dumpling wrapped in bamboo leaves and threw them into the river hoping that the fish would devour the wrapped dumplings instead of his body.

Qu Yuan2 disappeared on the 5th day of the 5th moon (Lunar Calendar). During those time people called the 1st day of a moon (month) Duan Yi, the 2nd day Duan Er4, the 3rd day Duan San, the 4th day Duan Si4, the 5th day Duan Wu3, the 6th day Duan Liu4 and so on until the 10th day. From 11th day on the word Duan was not used. They called Shi2 Yi and so on. People fixed the 5th day of the 5th moon as Duan Wu3 Jie2 to commemorate the disappearance of Qu Yuan2 in the river on 5th day of the 5th moon.

NOTE: Duan meant : the beginning.
Wu3 meant: five.
Jie2 meant: festival.
This festival was also called Duan Yang2 Jie2.
Later it was changed to Duan Wu3 (noon) Jie2.

People living in South China made it an annual event on that day for boats racing to commemorate the day when people were rushing out to the river with their boats to rescue Qu Yuan2. Boats were decorated with dragon heads on the bows. Later people called them dragon boats. Eventually they renamed the event the dragon boats racing.

Every year on the 5th day of the 5th moon, the day Qu Yuan2 disappeared, it became a custom for people living in the region near Mi Luo2 River to make glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves and to throw them to the river to feed the fish. Later they believed that Qu Yuan2's body must have been decomposed under the water for so long. They stopped throwing them to the river to feed the fish. Instead they consumed them as desserts. Generations later they called these dumplings Zong2 Zi.

CHUNG Yoon-Ngan. chungyn@mozart.collective.com.au "the story teller".