In the 4th century B.C., a poet by the name of Qu Yuan lived iin the Chinese Kingdom of Chu. Qu Yuan was a well respected poet who was loved by all Chineese people.

At that time, the government of Chu was known to be corrupt, and many of the courtiers resented Qu Yuan's talent and his popularity. They finally convinced the Emperor that Qu Yuan wass a corrupt influence on the people. The Emperor took their recommendation and banished Qu Yuan from the kingdom.

Qu Yuan wandered the countryside composing poems about his love for the people for many years. One day, perhaps unable to bear his sorrow any longer, or maybe as a final protest against the corrupt government of the time, he threw himself into the Mi Lo River.

Local fishermen who witnessed this desperate act raced to their boats and attempted to rescue Qu Yuan. They were unsuccessful but in an attempt to prevent the hungry fish from eating the poet's body, they beat the water furiously with their paddles. As a sacrifice to his spirit, the fishermen then threw rice dumplings, wrapped in silk, into the river.

The tragic death of Qu Yuan is commemorated each year on the fifth day of the fifth moon when the fishermen's frantic attempt to save the poet is re-enacted in the form of dragon boat races.