Dr Edouard LEUNG SHING

On the 31st of May, the Chinese community in Mauritius as well as the Chinese throughout the world will celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival.

This festival is celebrated every year on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month in the Chinese lunar calendar. On this occasion, Zong Zi (pyramid-shaped dumplings made by wrapping glutinous rice in bamboo leaves) are eaten and dragon-boat races are held. It is also called the Qu Yuan festival, as the origin of this festival is associated with the death of the great patriotic Chinese poet named Qu Yuan.

Qu Yuan was born in 343BC, in an aristocratic family in the State of Chu (present day Jiang Ling county in Hubei province). It was during the period of Warring State (453BC to 221BC) of the Zhou Dynasty (1134BC to 256BC). He was the first man to be officially recorded in Chinese history as a poet scholar.

He was appointed Minister of Law and Ordinance by Xiong Hua, the 36th ruler of the State of Chu (328BC to 298BC). He drafted all the laws in the State of Chu and was very influential in the Chu Court.

However, he offended the powerful chief eunuch, Jin Shang, with whom he also disagreed over foreign affairs policy. There were also personal and official animosity between him and the chief eunuch. The chief eunuch lied when he told the ruler Xiong Huai that ?Qu Yuan is too proud and is disrespectful to you. He is bragging that nothing can be done in the country without him. Every one in the country knows about it except you, your Highness.? Xiong Huai was furious and he sacked Qu Yuan as a Minister and put him to work as an ordinary clerk in the Ministry.

Later, Xiong Huai was captured by the ruler of the State of Qin and died as a prisoner. Qu Yuan criticised Xiong Lan, the youngest son of Xiong Huai for the death of his father. Xiong Lan was ashamed of himself but would not accept Qu Yuan's criticism and banned Qu Yuan to exile.

On his way to exile, Qu Yuan arrived at the river Mi Luo (present day near Xiang Yin county in Hunan province) where he spent sometime. It was during this period that he composed the Li Sao, which was an allegory of himself searching for an understanding ruler whom he could serve. More than half of Li Sao was about the shaman's journey in search of divinity. He also planted a special variety of rice called Yu Mi (jade rice) on the banks of the river.

Qu Yuan hated the corrupt government of his country. He felt that he should not be punished for being too loyal to the ruler of his country. Despair and sadness overwhelmed him. On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, he tied a big rock to his body and jumped into the river and disappeared immediately. People living along the banks of Mi Luo River heard of his disappearance in the river. They rushed out to the river with their boats trying to rescue him but Qu Yuan could not be found at all.

Fearing that the fish might eat his body, people harvested the Yu Mi from Qu Yuan's field and made dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves. They threw them into the Mi Luo River with the hope that the fish would devour the wrapped dumplings instead of his body. Yu Mi was later renamed glutinous rice (Nou Mi) whereas the wrapped glutinous rice dumplings were later called Zong Zi or The Son of Zong.

On this day boat races were held, signifying the launching of boats to rescue Qu Yang. Figures of dragon heads decorated the bows of the boats which later became known as dragon boats. Eventually the whole event was renamed as ?The Dragon Boat Festival?.