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　　The story of this colorful summer festival concerns a famous Chinese scholar-statesman named Chu Yuan, who some three centuries before the birth of Christ, served the King of Chu during the Warring States period. As a loyal minister, Chu Yuan at first enjoyed the full confidence and respect of his sovereign. Eventually, through the intrigues of his rivals, he was discredited and found himself in disfavor. During that time, he composed his immortal poem, "Encountering Sorrow", an allegorical description of his search for a prince who would listen to good counsel in government.

　　Chu Yuan was never able to regain the emperor's favor and on the fifth day of the fifth moon in the year 295 B.C., at the age of 37, Chu Yuan clasped a stone to his chest and plunged into the Milo River in the Hunan Province.

　　Legend has it that local fishermen raced out in their boats to save him but failed. To protect his body, they beat drums in their boats and furiously hit the water with their paddles. They also threw rice dumplings wrapped in silk into the river as a sacrifice to his spirit.

　　His death was and is commemerated by the Chinese each year, on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, with the Tuen Ng (Dragon Boat) Festival. This was then developed more into the Dragon Boats we see nowadays.


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