Overview

Chu Yuan was a patriotic poet and statesman in ancient China, born over 2000 years ago in the state of Ch'u of the "Warring States" Period, a period of transition from Slavery to Feudalism System. Ch'in, Ch'u, Chao, Wei, Yen, Han and Chi were the Seven States occupying various parts of China at incessant war of annexation with one another. Of the Seven States Ch'in grew most powerful. Vis-a-vis Ch'in's military pressure and Ch'u's political corruption, Chu Yuan advocated alliance with Chi to resist Ch'in abroad, and political reforms at home so as to unify whole China. Chu Yuan's political viewpoint met with sabotage by slave-owning aristocrat bloc, was unable to be carried out in Ch'u. Being so indignant he finally took his own life by jumping into the river. His poems "Li Sao" "Tien Wen" etc. in the development history of Chinese literature, shone with everlasting brilliance.