As a traditional activity, dragon boat racing has retained its popularity to this day, especially in regions to the south of the Yangtze River. Legend has it that Qu Yuan (c 340-278 BC), a great poet of the Warring States period, was drowned in the Miluo River in Hunan Province on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month before the local people rushed to the scene by boat in an effort to rescue him. Since then, dragon boat races have been held on that day every year to commemorate Qu Yuan's death.
Dragon boat races were held on a large scale in the Tang Dynasty (618- 907). On such an occasion, a dozen boats went off like so many shots at the starting order, each striving to outpace the other amid the beating of drums on the vessels and cheers of onlookers on the banks.
Emperors of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) made it a rule to watch dragon boat races when they reviewed their water-borne troops. The winners were not only given handsome awards but gained high fame.
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