Dragon Boat Festival 端午佳节
An Incredible Man –Qu Yuan
一位不可思议的伟人 —-- 屈原 文◎Kok Foo Chang 郑国扶 译◎Elvie Yap 叶俐廷
No different from other races and nationalities, the Chinese people have numerous festivals of their own to celebrate throughout the year. It is well understood that the Chinese have continued to follow their own traditional lunar system to mark the dates and festivals. The three major and most significant occasions such as ‘Spring Festival’, ‘Mid-Autumn Festival’ and the Winter Solstice, ‘Dongzhi’ are undoubtedly very much family orientated. Habitually, the Chinese spare no effort, energy and expense to return to their families for the festivities. One festival, however, is celebrated, by far, in a different way. It involves big masses of people, communities, guilds and associations, even religious devotees and an entire region. This grand occasion is to honour and to remember the patriotism, the integrity and the sacrifice of one early individual, statesman, diplomat, strategist and a much loved, popular poet, in ancient China. 犹如各国家的民族，每一年华人都会庆 祝好几个传统节日。华人依据农历的日 子来庆祝传统节日，其中包括三个以家 庭为主导的重要节日，分别为春节、中 秋节和冬至。一般上，每逢佳节华人都 会不计劳苦地回家与家人团聚过节。 相比这华人传统佳节，有一个节日无论 是欢庆方式或意义上却截然不同。这个 日子是为了纪念一个中国古代人物的爱 国情操，他不仅是当代的政治家、外交 高手，也是一位受人爱戴的诗人。
Q
u Yuan lived in the state of Chu (in present Hubei Province, China) during the Warring States Period (475 221 BC). During this time, the area known as Central China was occupied by seven states or small kingdoms of Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao, Wei and Qin, who were rivalling for control and supremacy.
Early in life, Qu Yuan was already a member of the ruling house of Chu. He had a brilliant career, was made a minister of the court of Chu and an envoy to a neighbouring state Qi. He was once trusted by King Huai of Chu. When the state Qin invaded the other six states, Qu Yuan advocated forming a pact with state Qi to resist Qin. His early success evidently caused jealousy and envy of his fellow officials, who made wrong accusations to slander him. As a result, King Huai dismissed and exiled him. As the affairs of state Chu gradually headed downhill, King Huai recalled Qu Yuan to assist him in governing.
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In the ensuing years, the King of Qin offered King Huai some 600-li of land to lure him, pretending that the two states could live peacefully together. This infuriated the state Qi. Against Qu Yuan’s advice, King Huai eventually visited the state Qin. He was detained for many years and died there. King Huai was succeeded by his son, who ignored Qu Yuan’s advice not to yield to Qin. Qu Yuan was exiled again to a place further away than before. Saddened, disappointed and lonely, he used the days of his exile to travel widely, teaching and writing his ideas. Qu Yuan wrote many famous immortal poems – on his love for his country and its people – and the longest lyrics of romanticism regarding politics in the history of ancient Chinese literature. In 278 BC, a Qin army, led by General Bai Qi, occupied state Chu. Qin subsequently conquered the other states and unified the whole of China – for the first time under one ruler. By then, Qu Yuan was an
屈原 Qu Yuan
