Qu Yuan (屈原) (340 BC - 278 BC) was a Chinese poet from the southern state of Chu during the Warring States Period. He is well remembered as a patriotic poet. One of his most famous works include a long poem named "Li Sao". His body of work is contained in an anthology of poetry known as the Chuci or the Odes of Chu.

During the Warring States Period, China was torn into seven main states battling among themselves with unprecedented heights of military intrigue. The author Sun Tzu wrote the famous The Art of War during this period, for example.

According to one legend, Qu Yuan was a minister in the government of the state of Chu, a champion of political loyalty and truth eager to maintain the Chu state's sovereignty. The Chu king, however, fell under the influence of other corrupt, jealous ministers who slandered Qu Yuan as 'a sting in flesh', and banished his most loyal counselor. In his exile, so the legend goes, Qu Yuan produced some of the greatest poetry in Chinese literature expressing his fervent love for his state and his deepest concern for its future.

In the year 278 BC, learning of the upcoming devastation of his country from invasion by a neighbouring warring state, he is said 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.

The common people, learning of his suicide, rushed out in their fishing boats to the middle of the river and tried desperatedly to save him. They beat drums and splashed water with their paddles in order to keep the fish and evil spirits from his body, and later on, they scattered rice into the water to prevent him from suffering hunger - alternatively in order to feed the fishes in the river so that they would not eat his body up. However, late one night, the spirit of Qu Yuan appeared before his friends and told them that the rice meant for him was being intercepted by a huge river dragon. He asked his friends to wrap their rice into three-cornered silk packages to ward off the dragon. This has been a traditional food ever since known as Zhongzi, although the rice dumplings are wrapped in bamboo leaves instead of silk. In order to commemorate him, people held a Dragon boat race every year on the day of his suicide.

Up till today people still eat rice dumplings to commemorate him on the Duan Wu festival, the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar.

da:Qu Yuan fr:Qu Yuanja:屈原 zh:屈原