The fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese lunar calendar is the day when Chinese people commemorate Qu Yuan (340 BC-278 BC), who has been revered by generations as the consummate patriot.

Descendant of an earlier king of Chu and accomplished poet-cum-diplomat of his day, Qu became a victim of his own impeccable character and righteousness when the king Chu Huaiwang banished him into exile after some jealous corrupt ministers convinced the king that Qu was conspiring against him.

Even under such mental and physical duress Qu never lost his love for the kingdom and his people. He risked his life to return to the palace in the hope of persuading the king not to befriending the powerful northern state of Qin, which was in fact preparing to annex Chu. He was driven to despair after the king dismissed him and accepted Qin's offer.

Qu killed himself by drowning in the Miluo River in what is now Hubei province when his homeland was conquered by Qin in early May, 278 BC.

People living by the river rushed out to save him when they heard that Qu had jumped into the river.

Legend has it many of them boated along the river trying to find him but ultimately gave up in deep grief. In the hope of preventing his body from being consumed by fish, people banged on their boats to scare the water creatures away and threw sections of bamboo filled with cooked rice into the river for them to eat.

These practices were later developed into an elaborate ritual set on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, when people hold dragon boat competitions and eat zongzi - pyramid-shaped dumplings made of glutinous rice, meat, salted egg yokes and/or red beans wrapped in bamboo or weed leaves and served boiled or steamed. It has been known as Duanwu (Tuen Ng in Cantonese) or Dragon Boat festival ever since and is a public holiday in Macao and Hong Kong.

This year the Dragon Boat (Duanwu or Tuen Ng) Festival falls on Sunday June 8. 2008 Macau International Dragon Boat Races will be held (on May 31, June 1, 7 and 8) in Nam Van Lake on the southern tip of Macao Peninsula with teams from the mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan and some foreign countries as well as local clubs competing for champion's honor in men's and women's categories.

(HK Edition 05/16/2008 page2)