The legend of Qu Yuan… Qu Yuan was an official in the government of Chu before being exiled. While he was exiled he wrote stories and poems about his love for his homeland. This part is fact. Where the story apparently differs is how and why he died. The most common belief is that he committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River after learning of the fall of Chu. There are other beliefs that he was killed by enemies and even the river. Others believe he became lost and ran out of food, eventually “giving his body to the river”. Awu does not have a strong opinion on this, however his family taught him the suicide version.