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To this day in China, many shrines can be found in his memory. The largest one, Qu Yuan Memorial Hall, was built during the Tang dynasty, and was recently relocated during the construction of the Three Gorges Dam project on the Yangtze River. International dragon boat races have been held annually since 1991 in Qu Yuan’s hometown of Yueyang, located in what is known today as Hunan Province.

Less known are other legends associated with the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival, stories that share the theme of individuals whose deaths resulted in cult status like Qu Yuan’s. Death by drowning or suicide has been linked to the ancient custom of human sacrifice. Some say that the Dragon Boat Festival is held in honour of a young girl, Cao E. After the drowning of her father, Cao E searched for his body along the riverbank. After many days without any success, she threw herself into the river out of grief and despair. On the fifth day of the fifth month, the bodies of the father and daughter arose together to the water’s surface. People were so moved by her filial piety that they commemorate her life and death every year on that day.