Qu Yuan (approximately 340 BC - 278 BC) was a poet and politician of the Chu State during the Warring States Period in China. Born in Zigui, Danyang, Chu State (now Yichang, Hubei Province). Mi's surname is Qu's, her given name is Ping, and her courtesy name is Yuan; her name is Zhengze, and her courtesy name is Lingjun.

Descendants of Qu Xia, son of Xiong Tong, King of Chu Wu. When he was young, he received a good education, was knowledgeable and had great ambitions. In his early years, he was trusted by King Huai of Chu and served as Zuotu and Sanlu officials, and was also in charge of domestic and foreign affairs. He advocated "beautiful government", advocated appointing talents internally, amending laws and regulations, and advocating to unite Qi to resist Qin externally.

Because he was excluded and slandered by the nobles, he was exiled to northern Han Dynasty and Yuanxiang River Basin. After the Chu State's Yingdu was conquered by the Qin army, he sank into the Miluo River and died for his country.

"Li Sao", "Heavenly Questions" and "Nine Songs" can be regarded as representatives of the three types of Qu Yuan's works. The content and style of "Nine Chapters", "Yuanyou", "Divination", "Fisherman", "Summoning Souls" and "Big Move" can be grouped together with "Li Sao". Express the author's inner feelings.

"Li Sao" is a magnificent poem made by Qu Yuan based on his own ideals, experiences, pain, passion and even his whole life. It shines with the brilliance of his distinctive personality and is the focus of all Qu Yuan's creations. "Tianwen" is a poem written by Qu Yuan based on myths and legends, focusing on the author's academic attainments and his views on history and nature.

"Nine Songs" is a piece of music for worshiping gods in the state of Chu. It was processed and polished by Qu Yuan. It is full of a strong flavor of life in the expression of the characters' emotions and the description of the environment and atmosphere. However, it is expressed on behalf of people or gods, not the author's self-expression. It shows more traces of the Southern Chu literary tradition. The "Li Sao" group and the "Nine Songs" group constitute the basic style of Qu Yuan's works.

Dragon Boat Festival

According to legend, the day when Qu Yuan committed suicide by throwing himself into the river was the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, which is the Dragon Boat Festival. The Dragon Boat Festival was originally a festival for the Chinese people to cure diseases and prevent epidemics. Before the Spring and Autumn Period in the Wuyue area, there was a custom of holding tribal totem sacrifices in the form of dragon boat races on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Later, because Qu Yuan died on this day, it evolved into a traditional festival for the Chinese people to commemorate Qu Yuan.

The documents that tie Qu Yuan and the Dragon Boat Festival together began in the Southern Dynasties. The Dragon Boat Festival originated from Qu Yuan, and the earliest legend spread in the Jingchu area. After the unification of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the custom of commemorating Qu Yuan on the Dragon Boat Festival was not limited to the Jingchu area, but became a nationwide festival custom that has been passed down to this day.

Extended information:

The consciousness of life reflected in Qu Yuan’s works is mainly reflected in two aspects. On the one hand, there is the sense of time fleeting, beauty's twilight, and the cold awareness of death. Facing the changing seasons of nature can arouse human beings' common sense of time and life. The ancient Chinese literati's expression of the sense of beauty's twilight has been popular throughout the generations and remains timeless.

But no one has felt as urgent or even fearful as Qu Yuan faced with the passage of time.

Qu Yuan was admired by later generations as a great patriot and patriotic poet. His deep and persistent patriotic enthusiasm, his spirit of adhering to his ideals, preferring death over surrender, pursuing truth and boldly criticizing reality in political struggles set an example for later generations of writers. There are many poems in "Li Sao" that express Qu Yuan's patriotism.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Qu Yuan