The first version of the Dragon Boat Festival is in honor of Qu Yuan, a great poet in history. This saying is widely circulated throughout the country and is most recognized by the common people. Qu Yuan was a native of Chu during the Warring States period, and served as an official, such as Zuodu and Sanlu Dafu. Qu Yuan is a man of integrity, worry about the country and the people, is committed to the country's change of law, but has repeatedly suffered from the villain's slanderous attacks and persecution, coupled with the King Huai of Chu's mediocrity, do not distinguish between the loyal and the treacherous, full of loyalty and love for the people's fervor of the qu yuan was estranged, banished, and ultimately, in the sadness and despair of the first five days of May in the Miluojiang River and died. In his honor, people have the Dragon Boat Festival, to eat rice dumplings, dragon boat racing and other customs.
The second version of the Dragon Boat Festival is in honor of Wu Zixu. Wu Zixu, a native of Chu, had his father and brother killed by the ruthless King Ping of Chu. Later, Wu Zixu fled to the state of Wu, helped Wu to enrich its country and strengthen its army, and aided Wu in its campaign against Chu, attacking the capital of Chu, Ying City, in five battles. When King Ping of Chu died, Wu Zixu dug up his tomb and whipped his body 300 times to avenge the murder of his father and brother. After the death of King Helu of Wu, his son Fu-chai succeeded to the throne, Wu became more powerful, attacked the state of Yue and won a victory, King Goujian of Yue asked for peace, Fu-chai agreed. At this time, King Fu-chai of Wu was already overwhelmed by the victory, and began to be proud and arrogant, and could not listen to the advice.
Wu Zixu advised him to destroy the Yue kingdom completely to avoid any future trouble, but Fu Zhai didn't listen to him, and instead, he believed the slanderous rumors that framed Wu Zixu, and forced Wu Zixu to take his own life. Before his death, Wu Zixu told his neighbors, "When I die, gouge out my eyes and hang them on the east gate of the capital of Wu, so as to see the army of Yue enter the city and destroy Wu." Then he drew his sword and killed himself. When Fu Chai was informed of this, he was furious and had Wu Zixu's body packed in leather and thrown into the river on May 5, so it is said that the Duanwu Festival is also a day to commemorate Wu Zixu.
The third theory of the Dragon Boat Festival is in honor of Cao E, a filial daughter of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Cao E was a native of Shangyu in the Eastern Han Dynasty. When her father drowned in the river and the body could not be found for several days, Cao E, a filial daughter, was only fourteen years old, and she was so distraught that she cried along the river day and night. After seventeen days, she threw herself into the river on the fifth day of the fifth month, and surfaced five days later with her father's body in her arms. Cao E's act of filial piety was so touching that it was widely circulated among the people, and the literati at that time made eulogy speeches to praise Cao E's act of filial piety of throwing herself into the river to look for her father.
The tomb of Cao E, a filial daughter, is located in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, today. In front of the tomb, there is a monument to Cao E, which is said to have been written by Wang Yi of the Jin Dynasty. To commemorate Cao E's filial piety, a Cao E Temple was built at the place where she threw herself into the river, the village where she lived was renamed Cao E Town, and the river where she died for her father was renamed Cao E River, and people came to pay tribute to Cao E on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, the day she threw herself into the river in search of her father.
The fourth theory of the Dragon Boat Festival is to commemorate the modern revolutionary poetess Qiu Jin. Qiu Jin word Ruiqing, Jingxiong, the number of Jianhu female warrior, small word Yugu, Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, early childhood, good at poetry, lyrics, songs, fugue, and like to ride a horse, fencing, there are contemporary flowers Mulan, Qin Liangyu reputation. 28 years old to participate in the revolution, the influence of the great, the premeditated revolutionary uprising, the misfortune of a meeting for the Qing soldiers arrested, steadfast and unyielding in the thirty-third year of Guangxu, on the fifth day of the sixth month of the Shaoxu Xuanhengkou heroically killed.
Although Qiu Jin was martyred on the fifth day of the sixth month, but the descendants admired his poetry, his person, but also sad about his deeds of loyalty and courage, and it was compared with the patriotic poet Qu Yuan, and held a joint commemoration, but also in the Dragon Boat Festival on this day to commemorate the heroine, poetess.