Located at the exit of Xiling Gorge, Zigui is the hometown of Qu Yuan, one of China's greatly loved patriotic poets of the State of Chu in the Warring States Period (475-221 BC).
The walled city, shaped like a gourd hence the name "Gourd City" features with traditional Chinese style architecture. The city walls are mainly of stones, so hence an alias - "Stone City". It was said that Quyuan's sister once came back to console him before Quyuan was exiled. With respect for this affectionate sister,later the city was called "Zigui".
There were Qu Yuan Temple, Qu Yuan Tomb and Qu Yuan former residence in the county. Qu Yuan's memorial temple on the hillside east of the town has its distinctive white gateway and walls edged in red. It contains a the statue of the poet from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) with many stone inscriptions.
Qu Yuan had served as a chancellor to King Huai of the Kingdom of Chu and the king had complete trust in him. Later court discord developed among the clans and Qu was falsely slandered. He was banished from the capital with deep sad and bitter. He wandered about in Hubei Province and wrote many poetry and essays which reveal his romanticism, loyalty and patriotism. Qu had adviced that the State of Chu stand firm against attack by the Qin state, but his advice had gone unheeded. So disappointed he was that he drowned himself in Dongting Lake at the age of 62 in May.
The sorrowful villagers scoured the Dongting Lake for his body, beating drums and racing their boats and scaring away fish and dropped zongzi, packets of sweetened rice steamed in leaves and tied with reeds into the water. They wished that fish would feast on zongzi rather than on Qu Yuan's body. Afterwards, the event became into the Dragon Boat Festival ( Duanwu Jie), and the date felt on each May. On the day, people will eat Zongzi to commemorate Qu Yuan. Today, the dragon boat racing and eating zongzi have been a tradition for worldwide Chinese people, and the people in the South East Asia.
