Commemorating poet Qu Yuan on Duanwu Festival
The best-known legend in China holds that Duanwu Festival commemorates the death of the poet Qu Yuan (340–278 B.C.). Qu Yuan was a politician of the State of Chu and one of China's earliest poets. Faced with great pressure from the powerful Qin State, he advocated enriching the state and strengthening its military forces so as to fight the Qin. However, he was opposed by other aristocrats, and later deposed and exiled by his king. During exile, he continued to care deeply for his hometown and people and wrote a wide range of great poetry. In 278 B.C., Qu Yuan heard the news that Qin troops had finally conquered Chu's capital, and so plunged into the Miluo River and drowned himself. The day happened to be the fifth day of the fifth month in the Chinese lunar calendar. After his death, the people of Chu crowded the banks of the river to pay their respects.
