The birthplace of the great patriotic poet Qu Yuan - Lepingli, Zigui County, Hubei Province, has beautiful mountains and clear waters and outstanding people. It has both wonderful cultural landscapes and unique customs and customs. The local customs, Quyuan ruins, scenery and customs in Lepingli are all related to Quyuan, and they are full of fun and popular. It is said that there are "eight monsters".

1. Hanging mugwort on every household during the Dragon Boat Festival

Liang Zongmao of the Southern Dynasty recorded in "Jingchu Years of Ages": "On May 5th... people picked mugwort and hung it on the door. To ward off poisonous gas." "Chinese Dictionary" notes: "Mugwort, Asteraceae, is a perennial herb with leaves split into feathers and fragrant. The leaves are used as medicine to warm the meridians. Made into moxa, it is used for moxibustion." In the early morning of the fifth day of May every year, every household in Lepingli harvests "dew moxa" and hangs bunches of moxa tied with red paper strips on doors and windows. There is a medicinal fragrance filling the room. The Dragon Boat Festival falls in early summer, which is the disease-prone season when poisonous insects begin to move and breed. Smoking mugwort leaves not only refreshes the mind, but also repels insects and cures diseases.

2. Cattle do not use ropes to listen to others

It is a strange thing in Leping that cattle plow fields without nose ropes. "Guizhou Chronicles" records: "The cattle in this village do not need to be led by ropes. If they are sold to other towns, they will only last for three days. From now on, they will be disadvantaged without using ropes, just like the cattle from other places entering Sanlu (Lepingli was formerly called Sanlu). After three days, there is no need to lead the rope, but it will naturally stick to it. It has lasted more than two thousand years. It has been more than two thousand years since Qu Yuan left home for Zodu. He just set out to pick up books. The rope broke under the pressure, and Qu Yuan asked the boy to ask a farmer who was plowing to borrow a cow nose rope to use for binding the book box, saying that from now on, the cows in Leping would no longer need to use nose ropes to plow the fields. There is a popular saying that "the cows in Leping are smart animals"

3. Red coffins are used for funerals

People in Leping use red coffins after their death. The burial custom is related to Qu Yuan, the Sanlu doctor. Legend has it that Qu Yuan died in Miluo, and the sacred fish carried his body to Zigui. The villagers in Lepingli felt sorry for Qu Yuan's loyalty throughout his life, so they buried Qu Yuan in a red coffin. When the King of Qin learned about it, he sent people to Lepingli. After questioning, the villagers carried more than a hundred red coffins, but the Qin envoy could not identify which one was Qu Yuan's red coffin and returned without success. After that, people in Lepingli were buried in red coffins, which is commonly known as "red coffins." /p>

4. The ancient well is used as a dressing table

There is an ancient well on the hillside of Fuhu Mountain in Leping, called Zhaomian Well, which is one of the eight scenic spots in the mountain. "Well" stone tablet. "In advance of the white people, this is the well left behind by Qu Gong..." This well is warm in winter and cool in summer, with constant flow in all seasons. The water in the well is as sparkling as a mirror, sweet and delicious. Legend has it that it is the place where Qu Yuan washed himself and looked at his face. . From ancient times to the present, Chinese and foreign tourists who come to Lepingli have taken a rest here, washed their faces with water, and dressed up. According to legend, the villagers around the well have also dressed up here while drinking the water from the well. , looking at your face in this well can tell the difference between loyalty and adultery, washing your face in this well can improve your beauty, and drinking in this well can help you live longer.

5. The sound of calligraphy in the stone cave has been recorded in "Guizhou Zhi·Landscape" for thousands of years. : "In Sanlu Township, a hundred and twenty miles northeast of the city, it is said that Qu Yuan studied in the cave, and the ruins still exist. "Study Cave, also known as "Dongpi Shutang", is one of the eight scenic spots in Guizhou and the eight scenic spots in Sanlu. There are uneven and upside-down stalactites of different shapes on the top of the cave. There are stone benches and benches in the cave. Legend has it that Qu Yuan was there when he was a child. The place where people read and recited poems and wrote "Li Sao" can be heard in the cave for thousands of years, and it has become an eternal mystery in Leping. There is an inscription by Mrs. Guo Moruo next to the cave. The "Book Cave" stone tablet

6. Poetry competition for men, women and children

The Dragon Boat Festival is also known as the "Poet's Day" in Leping. Every time when the Dragon Boat Festival comes, men, women and children all over the mountain come together. They gathered in Lepingli to set up a poetry platform, compete in poems and lyrics, and chant poems in pairs. It was very lively. Memorizing "Li Sao" and other Chu poems was a compulsory course for primary school students in Lepingli. The "Taotan Poetry Club" with farmers as the main body was even better. , "Guizhou Chronicles" records that the poetry style in Lepingli, his original birthplace, was particularly prosperous, and in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, there were many good poets forming societies." The members of the Poetry Club collect, organize and edit the poetry drafts from the annual Dragon Boat Festival Poetry Competition, and have published more than ten volumes of poetry collections.

7. Qu Yuan was worshiped as a god

According to legend, the Dragon Boat Festival on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month is the memorial day for Qu Yuan to devote himself to Miluo. On the Dragon Boat Festival, people in Lepingli gather reed leaves to make rice dumplings and drink realgar wine. At the same time, they burn incense and worship under their own shrines, kowtow and pray, call "my brother Tian" and sing "spiritual songs". Some people went to Quyuan Temple in Lepingli to burn paper and incense, kneel down to worship Quyuan, and pray for peace. On the morning of the Dragon Boat Festival, the temple keepers of Quyuan Temple send "Duanyang Talisman" to each household, which means that every household will be safe.

8. There is no sound of drums outside the sky

There is a small stream in Leping called Xianggu River. There is a cliff hanging on the stream called Xianggu Rock, and there is a stone platform on the rock. It's called Drum Tower. Xiangguyan and Leigutai are respectively one of the "eight scenic spots" in Lepingli. Legend has it that it was the place where Qu Yuan beat drums when he recruited troops to fight against the Qin Dynasty. Up to now, the sound of drums continues here all year round. The sound of drums echoes under the rock and the sound of drums can still be clearly distinguished two or three miles away. It is a strange thing in Lepingli that there are no drums on this rock and there is the sound of drumming.