The Dragon Boat Festival

屈原 – Qu Yuan

Qu Yuan was a Chinese patriotic poet from southern Chu during the Warring States Period. Born into a noble family, he achieved a high position in the court, but was slandered by his enemies and sent into exile. In 278 B.C.E., King Chu was captured, and the capital, Ying, was taken soon afterwards by General Bai Qi of the state of Qin. Upon receiving this news, Qu Yuan is said to have written the lengthy poem of lamentation called "Lament for Ying" and later to have waded into the Miluo river in today's Hunan Province, holding a great rock in order to commit ritual suicide as a form of protest against the corruption of the era.