“Remembering Qu Yuan: The Heart Behind the Dragon Boat Festival”
Long ago, in ancient China, there was a wise and kind poet named Qu Yuan. He loved his country very much.
One day, Qu Yuan told the king, “Please listen to my advice. War is coming.”
But the king shook his head. “I don’t believe you.”
Soon, the kingdom was defeated. Qu Yuan was very sad. “My country is gone. My heart is broken,” he said. He walked to the river and jumped in.
The people were shocked. “Qu Yuan was a good man!” said one villager. “We must honour him.”
“We can throw rice dumplings into the river,” said another. “Maybe the fish will eat them instead of his body.”
“Yes, and we can paddle boats to scare the fish away,” a young man added.
So they made sticky rice triangles, wrapped them in bamboo leaves, and threw them into the water. They also paddled their boats loudly. Today, people call these dumplings zongzi, and we remember Qu Yuan with dragon boat races.
“Why do we do this every year?” a child asked.
“To remember someone who loved his country,” said Grandma. “And never gave up.”
(187 words)
Questions:
- Who was Qu Yuan, and why were the people sad when he died?
- What are two things people did to protect Qu Yuan’s body in the river?
- How can we honour or remember people who try to do the right thing, even if others don’t listen to them?