Qu Yuan Story 2

“Qu Yuan” is a story for HSK3+ learners. Stories I shared some are Chinese folk tales, and some are my creations. 

This story is one of the most famous stories associated with the Dragon Boat Festival. However, there are three different versions of it, each with slight variations. So, if you hear a different story, don’t be surprised.

Listen the Complete Story

Story

Story Part 1　　Story Part 2

屈原Qūyuán聽tīng了le後hòu， 覺得juéde心灰意冷xīnhuīyìlěng。 屈原Qūyuán听tīng了le后hòu， 觉得juéde心灰意冷xīnhuīyìlěng。

他tā不願意búyuànyì在zài這zhè骯髒āngzāng的de世界shìjiè做zuò一位yíwèi骯髒āngzāng的de人rén， 他tā不愿意búyuànyì在zài这zhè肮脏āngzāng的de世界shìjiè做zuò一位yíwèi肮脏āngzāng的de人rén，

所以suǒyǐ就jiù抱bào著zhe石頭shítóu跳tiào入rù汨羅江mìluójiāng自殺zìshā了le。 所以suǒyǐ就jiù抱bào着zhe石头shítou跳tiào入rù汨罗江mìluójiāng自杀zìshā了le。

楚國chǔguó百姓bǎixìng得知dézhī後hòu非常fēicháng難過nánguò， 一個個yígege跑pǎo來lái汨羅江mìluójiāng， 楚国chǔguó百姓bǎixìng得知dézhī后hòu非常fēicháng难过nánguò， 一个个yígege跑pǎo来lái汨罗江mìluójiāng，

他們tāmen有的yǒude人rén划船huáchuán來回láihuí在zài汨羅江Mìluójiāng上shàng打鼓dǎgǔ， 希望xīwàng能néng嚇xià跑pǎo魚yú蝦xiā， 別bié來lái吃chī屈原Qūyuán的de身體shēntǐ， 他们tāmen有的yǒude人rén划船huáchuán来回láihuí在zài汨罗江Mìluójiāng上shang打鼓dǎgǔ， 希望xīwàng能néng吓xià跑pǎo鱼yú虾xiā， 别bié来lái吃chī屈原Qūyuán的de身体shēntǐ，

有的yǒude人rén特地tèdì準備zhǔnbèi了le竹葉zhúyè包bāo入rù飯fàn丟diū進jìn江jiāng中zhōng， 讓ràng魚yú蝦xiā去qù吃chī米飯mǐfàn， 別bié吃chī屈原Qūyuán。 有的yǒude人rén特地tèdì准备zhǔnbèi了le竹叶zhúyè包bāo入rù饭fàn丢diū进jìn江jiāng中zhōng， 让ràng鱼yú虾xiā去qù吃chī米饭mǐfàn， 别bié吃chī屈原Qūyuán。

後來hòulái就jiù演變yǎnbiàn成chéng端午節Duānwǔjié「 划huá龍舟lóngzhōu」 、 「 吃chī粽子zòngzi」 的de習俗xísú。 后来hòulái就jiù演变yǎnbiàn成chéng端午节Duānwǔjié“ 划huá龙舟lóngzhōu“ ， “ 吃chī粽子zòngzi“ 的de习俗xísú。

Qu Yuan English Translation

After hearing this, Qu Yuan felt disheartened. He didn’t want to become a dirty person in this corrupt world, so he held a stone and jumped into the Miluo River to commit suicide.

When the people of the Chu Kingdom heard the news, they were deeply saddened. They rushed to the Miluo River, some of them rowed boats back and forth on the river, beating drums in the hope of scaring away fish and shrimp, preventing them from devouring Qu Yuan’s body. Others prepared bamboo leaf-wrapped rice balls and threw them into the river, allowing the fish and shrimp to feast on the rice, but not on Qu Yuan.

Later on, these actions evolved into the customs of “dragon boat racing” and “eating sticky rice dumplings” during the Dragon Boat Festival.