The Dragon Boat Festival, which originated in China, dates back over 2,000 years. It commemorates the life and death of the famous Chinese scholar and poet, Qu Yuan. Qu Yuan drowned himself in the Miluo River as an act of protest against government corruption. The local people raced out in their boats to save him, but sadly, they couldn’t find him. To safeguard his body, they beat drums and splashed water to scare away the fish and evil spirits.