Qu Yuan Shrine
Qu Yuan Shrine was built in memorial of the great patriotic poet Qu Yuan(339 BC278 BC).  It is situated at Xiangjiaping, 1.5km from Guizhou Town, the seat of Zigui County. In 820, the Qu Yuan Shrine was built at Quyuantuo,2.5 km from the county seat.After that it was rebuilt many times.Because of the construction of the Gezhouba Water Control Project,the water level rose,the shrine was rebuilt at the eastern suburb of the county.The three Chinese characters "Qu Yuan Shrine "were inscribed by Guo Moruo (1892D1978, an outstanding contemporary Chinese historian, paleographer and play wright).

Stories of Qu Yuan
Qu Yuan (about 340 B.C.- 278 B.C.) was a great poet and politician of the State of Chu in Chinese history. His given name was Ping and his courtesy name was Yuan.He gave himself a name of Zheng Ze and the courtesy name,Lin Jun.He lived in Lepingli of Guixiang in the State of Chu at the late period of the Warring States Period.

When he was young,he lived in Guixiang near the Xiling Gorge. He was greatly influenced by the beautiful scenery and he made an effort to develop his inner beauty. He was very diligent and loved to keep tidy.In Lepingli today,there are many folk tales about his life and studies during his childhood,and there are also some cultural relics concerning the patriotic poet,such as Zhuoying Spring ,Mirroring Well,Book-Reading Cave,Ode to Orange Tree Hillside and Three Peddlers Growing Jade-White Rice?

In about the 15th year of Emperor Huai of the State of Chu,when Qu Yuan was about 25,he was accepted to the royal court to serve as a supervisor and was in charge of foreign affairs. He was quite learned but he was later demoted to an imperial household administrator. After that,he was banished by a muddle-headed ruler to a remote place,south of the Yangtze River.When he learned the news that the State of Qin had occupied the Chu capital,he was so overcome with indignation and sorrow that he threw himself into the Miluo River ( in today's Hunan Province).

Qu Yuan was the first great patriotic poet in Chinese history and he was also the founder of the genre of romantic literature. His poems including Laments at Parting, Nine Lyrical Poems and Sacrificial Songs have won an international fame and occupy an important place in the world's cultural history.

In 1953, the World Peace Council listed Qu Yuan as one of the famous persons commemorated that year in the world.

China tours inclusive of visiting Qu Yuan Shrine