The Origins of Dragon Boat pt. 1

Qu Yuan was a Chinese folk hero who drowned himself to protest the erroneous decisions of the Han dynasty. Qu Yuan was a political official for the Han dynasty and tried to prevent poor decisions from his government but ultimately failed and used suicide to protest it as a last minute act of desperation. Boats came in vain to his rescue as they were too late. They were man-powered and raced to save the drowning patriot. When the men reached Qu Yuan's lifeless body, they used loud noises to preserve his body from the fish in the river. His drowning was seen as a way to save China, to help provide prosperity to the farmers and peasants. Rice seedlings are annually 'drowned' underwater in the rice paddies, and this is annually symbolized by Qu Yuan's watery fate during the Duan Wu Jie, dragonboat festival. Qu Yuan's selfless actions have been revered and respected throughout the years with the yearly Dragon Boat Festivals held all around the world.