Miluo River

Miluo River

The Miluo River lies to the east of Dongting Lake and is part of the Dongting Lake water system. About 1.5 kilometers upstream from where the Miluo River flows into the lake, there is a deep pool — the place where Qu Yuan drowned himself in protest. A stone stele commemorates the event.

According to local legend, when Qu Yuan first jumped into the river, he did not sink; only after his clothes and pants filled with silt did he finally submerge. That’s why this place is also called ChenSha Port (Sinking Sand Port). After being exiled by King Xiang of Chu to the area around Dongting Lake, Qu Yuan never stopped worrying about the fate of his homeland. The tragic plight of his fellow countrymen caught in the turmoil of war pained him even more deeply. In 278 BC, the Qin general Bai Qi captured the Chu capital of Ying (present-day Jiangling, Hubei), forcing King Xiang to flee to Chen. Upon hearing the devastating news, Qu Yuan, overwhelmed with grief, bid a final farewell to his hometown of Zigui and the capital Ying as he traveled north along the Han River. He then headed south to what is now Changsha. But his heart remained tied to his homeland, so he turned back toward Dongting Lake. The harsh reality eventually crushed all hope within him. Feeling there was no way out, and that all his life’s ideals and ambitions had come to nothing, he completed the final chapter of his “Li Sao” (The Lament) at Miluo, and then drowned himself in the river, clutching a copy of his writings.

Today, historical sites such as the Temple of Qu Yuan, the Sao Platform, and the Tomb Cluster of Qu Yuan remain. On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month each year, locals along the Miluo River hold grand dragon boat races to commemorate the great patriotic poet Qu Yuan.

Suggested Duration

Half a day

Transportation

The Miluo River is located in Miluo City, approximately 85 kilometers from Yueyang City.

Train:

There are 13 train services in total between Yueyang and Miluo, including originating and passing trains.

Bus:

Yueyang to Miluo: 15 RMB per person.

Admission Fee

20 RMB

Opening Hours

All day

Location

Within Miluo City, Yueyang, Hunan Province

Hu Quan (1102–1180), courtesy name Bangheng, literary name Dan’an, was a native of Xiangcheng in Luling, Jizhou (today’s Zhixia Town, Qingyuan District, Ji’an City, Jiangxi Province). He was a literary figure and patriotic statesman of the Southern Song Dynasty, one of the “Five Loyalists and One Upright Official” of Luling, and together with Li Gang, Zhao Ding, and Li Guang, he is known as one of the “Four Eminent Ministers of the Southern Song.”

In the second year of the Jianyan era (1128) during the reign of Emperor Gaozong, Hu Quan passed the imperial examination and was initially appointed as a military judge in Fuzhou. When the Jin army crossed the Yangtze River and advanced southward, Hu Quan recruited local militias to assist government troops in defense. Later, he was appointed as a compiler in the Privy Council. In 1138, when Qin Hui advocated for peace, Hu Quan strongly opposed this in a memorial, pleading for Qin Hui and the participating minister Sun... [Hu Quan's detailed information++]