Qu Yuan Temple, Zigui

秭归屈原祠 · zǐ guī qū yuán cí

The hometown shrine of Qu Yuan, the poet whose drowning in 278 BC is why the world races dragon boats and eats zongzi every summer.

The story

Zigui is where the Dragon Boat Festival began: villagers rowed out to save Qu Yuan and threw rice into the river so fish would spare his body. The temple was moved stone by stone when the reservoir rose. In June the town hosts China's most authentic dragon boat races.

Getting there

Car from the dam visitor centre, 20 min

Local tips

• Visit on Duanwu (June) for the races and the poetry recital.
• Buy 清水粽 (plain zongzi), the local style.
• The temple faces the dam across the water — a strange, moving view.