Why Qu Yuan Threw Himself into the River: The Historical Reason the Chu Poet Died for His Country

Qu Yuan was a famous poet and statesman of the State of Chu during the Warring States period, and one of the founders of Chinese romantic literature. His representative works include "Li Sao," "Nine Songs," and "Heavenly Questions." Born into the Chu nobility, he was trusted and employed by the ruler in his early years. He advocated appointing the worthy and capable and reforming the legal system at home, and allying with Qi against Qin abroad, hoping thereby to revive Chu.

The reason Qu Yuan threw himself into the river is closely tied to his political setbacks and the fate of Chu. At court he incurred the jealousy and slander of conservative nobles, was gradually alienated by the ruler, was successively pushed out of the court, and spent a long time in exile in the Yuan and Xiang river regions. Later, when the Qin army captured Yingdu, the capital of Chu, and he saw the state declining day by day and his own political ideals completely shattered, Qu Yuan, overcome with grief and indignation, finally clasped a stone and drowned himself by the Miluo River, using death to show his resolve and express his loyalty to his homeland.

The story of Qu Yuan throwing himself into the river has been passed down for more than two thousand years. Later generations commemorate this patriotic poet by eating zongzi and holding dragon boat races during the Dragon Boat Festival. Folk legend holds that the zongzi thrown into the river were meant to keep fish and shrimp from harming his body. Today, the spirit of Qu Yuan has become a symbol of patriotism in Chinese culture, and his works and deeds are still widely celebrated and studied.