Qu was then slandered and exiled by the king. During his stay in Miluo, he finished most of his great works that reflected both his patriotism and sorrow for his motherland.

On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month in the year of 278 B.C., upon learning that the capital of his country was occupied by the State of Qin, Qu chose to drown himself in the Miluo River.

I visited the site where he allegedly committed suicide on a rainy day.

Liu told me a legend. Upon hearing the tragedy, many locals rushed in their boats to search for Qu. They dropped rice at the same time into the water to distract the fish from eating his body. This moment formed the major traditions for the Dragon Boat Festival, or Duanwu Festival – dragon boat races and Zongzi, or sticky rice dumplings.

Each year, people would gather on the river in front of the temple to commemorate Qu with a dragon boat race. Before that, the competitors would have a grand sacrificial ceremony in the temple.

Liu said while enjoying the festival, people today should also pay some attention to the cultural connotation.

"The young generation is the backbone of a country. But some of the young people today lack the great character that Qu Yuan possessed, such as his patriotism, the perseverance to seek truth and the courage to fight against evil," said Liu.

"Although the road endless and far away, I still want to pursue the truth resolutely," this is one of the most famous lines from Qu's works. Every time I read it, I gain inspiration and strength, like everyone else.

(Luo Caiwen also contributed to the story.)

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