A popular legend tells the story of Qu Yuan, an upright minister during the Warring States era of China, who committed suicide by throwing himself into the river when the emperor banished him due to political conspiracy. Well-loved by the people, fishermen started beating their oars against the water to stop man-eating fish from devouring his body and common folks threw cooked rice wrapped in leaves into the river, in hope that the fish would eat them instead. This resulted in today’s dragonboat races and the dumplings.

 

In China, another legend associates this festival to commemorating the loyal premier Wu Zixu, who was forced to commit suicide by the Emperor Fu Chai, with his body thrown into the river on the fifth day of the fifth month.