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PopularChineseStoriesTheDeathofQūYuán屈原Onthefifthdayofthefifthlunarmonth,thedayofthedragonboatfestival(Duānwǔjié端午节),peopleeatzòngzi粽子(althoughpeoplealsoeatthematothertimes,sincetheyaredelicious).TheassociationofzòngziwiththisoccasionissaidtobeinmemoryofthepoetQŪYuán屈原,anofficialofthestateofChǔ楚duringtheWarringStatesPeriod(period04e,200sand300sBC).ThefamouswarringstatesincludedYān燕,Qí齐,Zhào赵,Wèi魏,Hán韩,Chǔ楚,AndQín秦,aswellasthediminutiveWèi卫,Dōngzhōu东周,Sòng宋,andLǔ鲁(whereConfuciuslived).Amongallthese,thestateofQínwasbyfarthemostpowerfulandsoughttodominateorabsorbtheothers.(Eventuallyitsucceeded.That’swheretheQíndynastycamefrom.)QūYuánwasascionofanaristocraticfamilyandatrustedcounseloratthecourtofkingHuái,怀),wherehewasanadvocateofcloseallianceswiththeotherstatesinthehopeoffrustratingQín’sexpansionistambitions.Buthewashatedbyanenviouscompetitorfortheking'sattention.Inthelate280sBCthestateofQín秦brokeitsalliancewithChǔ,andmanybattlesensued.eventuallyQínsuggestedthattheChǔmonarchgotoQínforpeacetalks.QūYuáncounseledagainstdoingso,forhedidnottrustQín.ButkingHuái'ssonQǐngXiāng楚顷襄arguedinfavorofthetrip,andkingHuáiwent.AsQūYuánhadpredicted,kingHuáiwasarrested,heldinexileinQínforthreeyears,andfinallyexecuted.MeanwhilehissonQǐngXiāngbecamemonarch,andselectedQūYuán'soldenemyashisprimeminister,whoimmediatelypersuadedhimtohaveQūYuánbanished.HemovedtohisoldhomeinwhatistodaynorthernHúběi湖北andspenthistimecollectingfolkloreandwritingpoetry.In278BCQínforces,underthecommandofthefamousgeneralBÁIQǐ白起,occupiedYǐng郢,theChǔcapital(inmodernJiānglíngcounty江陵县inHúběi).QūYuánwasindespairbothattheinjusticeofhisexileandatthelossofhishomelandtotheQínconquerorsbecausehisadvicehadnotbeenfollowed.Hecommemoratedhissorrowinalongpoemstillwidelyrespected,calledLeavingtheTumultor“TheSorrowofLeaving”(Lǐsāo离骚)(usuallytranslated“EncounteringSorrow”)andinmanyothermelancholypoems,oftenincludingthewordlament(āi哀)inthetitle,suchasLamentfor[theFallof]Yǐng(ĀiYǐng哀郢).Eventuallyonthefifthdayofthefifthlunarmonth,overcomebyhisdepression,QūYuáncommittedsuicidebyjumpingintothenearbyMìluóriver汨罗江.Peoplewereunabletofindhisbody,andmadesacrificestohisspiritbythrowingriceintotheriver.Later,fearingthatthericewouldbetooreadilyeatenbyfish,theytiedthericeintowrappingsofbambooleaves.(OtheraccountssaythatthewrappedricewasthrownintofeedthefishandthuspreventthemfromeatingQūYuán'sbody.)Althoughpeopledonotthrowriceintoriversanymore,thecustomofpreparingandeatingricewrappedinbambooleaves(zòngzi粽子)isstillassociatedwiththefifthdayofthefifthmonth.