Myths and Legends

The story goes with an advisor called Qu Yuan in the court of Chu during the Warring States period of ancient China this man was exiled by the emperor for perceived disloyalty. Qu Yuan proposed a strategic with the state of Qi with order to fend it, but the emperor heard of this and sent it to the desert, unfortunately Qu Yuan was right about the threat of Qi and then Qu Yuan was captured and imprisoned by the Chu emperor. Shortly Qu Yuan was found dead in the Miluo River in Hunan Province in 278 B.C.

 “One of the most important mythical creatures in Chinese mythology, the dragon is the controller of the rain, the river, the sea, and all other kinds of water; symbol of divine power and energy…. In the imperial era it was identified as the symbol of imperial power” 

After the death of Qu Yuan, her supporters to honor began roping rice water to nourish your spirit, but the rice thrown was intercepted by a water dragon (the Chinese consider dragons big fish like catfish or grow in these waters), so that the dragons would not eat rice, Qu Yuan told the people that had to put sticky rice paper and put it on a stalk of bamboo, as well the dragon could not eat it.

“In another interpretation, Chit tick argues that the dragon boat races were “initially a military exercise” in the Hubei area, home of the state of Chu, which took place during the solstice because that’s when the river was highest. “Small boats were an important part of warfare. Then they turned it into a spectator sport.