Qu Yuan and the Dragon Boat Festival
A poet's sacrifice, a nation's memory
Qu Yuan was a loyal minister and poet of the Chu State during the Warring States period. A patriot of unwavering devotion, he was slandered by corrupt officials and exiled by the king he served. In 278 BCE, learning that his beloved Chu had fallen, Qu Yuan waded into the Miluo River with a stone in his arms. The local fishermen raced out in their boats to save him, beating drums to scare away fish and throwing zongzi into the water to feed his spirit. This is the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival.
Keepers of the Tradition
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Sacred Geography
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Relationship
Constellation
Archival
Fragments
Visual records that capture moments of this living tradition across time.
Dragon boat race with paddlers in synchronized motion
Intertwined
Legacies
Related heritage traditions that share lineage, aesthetics, or philosophical roots.
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Expedition
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