Explore the real-world places that appear in Chu Ci (Songs of Chu / The Songs of the South) by Qu Yuan (with Song Yu and later Han dynasty poets). Each location on the map shows what happens there in the novel, the real history of the place, and what's there today. Featured locations include Ying, Danyang, Miluo River, Dongting Lake, Xiang River and 8 more.
Capital of Chu, seat of King Huai and King Qingxiang
In Ai Ying (Lament for Ying), Qu Yuan grieves the fall of the capital to Qin's general Bai Qi. He recalls leaving the city in exile and looks back with longing, unable to return. The capital stands for the court where slander by rivals drove him away.
Ying served as Chu's capital for over four centuries until Qin forces took it in 278 BCE. The Jinan site near Jingzhou preserves the remains of the city.
The Jinan ancient city site lies north of modern Jingzhou, with archaeological remains and nearby Chu tombs. The Jingzhou Museum displays Chu artifacts.
Early Chu capital and ancestral heartland
Qu Yuan invokes Chu's ancestors and early rulers, tracing his lineage to Gaoyang in Li Sao. The poet's pride in his noble descent frames his duty to the state. Danyang represents those origins.
Danyang was an early capital of Chu in the Zhou era. Its precise site is debated but lies near the Dan River confluence.
The Danjiangkou Reservoir area now covers much of the region, and Xichuan in Henan holds Chu tombs and relics. Local museums display bronzes found nearby.
Place of Qu Yuan's death
After Ying's fall, Qu Yuan wanders to the Miluo and, in Huaisha, resolves to die. He embraces a stone and enters the water, rejecting a world that rejects honesty. Fishermen row out to search for him, the origin of dragon boat races.
Miluo is a river in northeastern Hunan flowing into Dongting Lake. The Dragon Boat Festival has commemorated Qu Yuan here for over two thousand years.
Miluo city hosts the Qu Yuan Temple and Quyuan Memorial Park, with annual dragon boat races. The Miluojiang Qu Yuan Temple is a major pilgrimage site.
Great lake of the Xiang and home of the Xiang goddesses
In Nine Songs, the Lady of the Xiang waits on the northern shore for the River God, who never arrives. Autumn winds ripple the waters of Dongting while she mourns. Qu Yuan also passes the lake in his exile.
Dongting was China's largest freshwater lake in antiquity and a key link in the Yangtze system. Legends tie it to the daughters of Emperor Yao.
The lake remains a vast wetland near Yueyang, with Junshan Island and the Yueyang Tower. It is a Ramsar-listed wetland reserve.
River of goddesses and exile
The Lord and Lady of Xiang are invoked in the Nine Songs, with shamans singing to lure them. The Lady, riding a cassia boat, searches the river in vain. Qu Yuan crosses the Xiang during his southward exile.
The Xiang is a major tributary of the Yangtze, flowing north through Changsha. It was a heartland of Chu culture.
Changsha sits on the river, with Orange Isle and the Hunan Museum nearby. The Hunan Museum holds Mawangdui finds.
Exile route through western Hunan
In She Jiang (Crossing the River), Qu Yuan sails up the Yuan, lodging at Chenyang and Xupu. He describes deep mountains, gloomy forests, and apes howling. He declares that he will not change his ideals despite poverty.
The Yuan River flows through western Hunan into Dongting Lake. Chenxi and Xupu were remote frontier lands in Chu times.
Chenxi and Xupu counties feature river towns and Miao villages. Local sites commemorate the poet's passage.
Sacred mountain of the immortals
In Li Sao, the poet drives dragon-drawn chariots toward Kunlun's Hanging Gardens. He rides with Xihe, goddess of the sun, and passes Mount Buzhou. He seeks a worthy ruler among the gods but is denied.
The Kunlun range is a real mountain system on the Tibetan Plateau. Chinese myth made it the home of the Queen Mother of the West.
The Kunlun range remains a remote wilderness. Nature reserves and pilgrimage routes exist, though the mythic site is not visitable.
Gate of the celestial court
The poet commands the gatekeeper to open the Heavenly Gate, but the keeper leans on the door and ignores him. The gate stays shut as the poet laments a world that hides virtue. Li Sao uses this to show the hostility of even heaven.
Western Sichuan mountains like Emei and Qingcheng were later associated with Daoist ascent. They stand as a regional proxy for the celestial approach.
Mount Qingcheng is a Daoist pilgrimage site and UNESCO listed. Visitors climb temples and trails.
Burial place of Emperor Shun
Qu Yuan kneels before the sage-king Shun at Cangwu and lays out his grievances. He pours out his heart and receives courage to continue. The scene occurs before his ascent to heaven.
Jiuyi Mountain in Ningyuan County is the traditional site of Shun's tomb, with rites since the Han dynasty.
The Shun Emperor Mausoleum at Jiuyi Mountain is a national memorial site. State and folk ceremonies still occur.
Home of the Goddess of Mount Wu
In Song Yu's Gaotang and Goddess Fu, King Xiang of Chu dreams of a goddess who appears as morning cloud and evening rain. She offers herself to the king at Gaotang. The tale sets her in the misty peaks.
The Wu Gorge is one of the Three Gorges along the Yangtze, famed for twelve peaks. The legend shaped Chinese poetic imagery of clouds and rain.
Wushan has Three Gorges cruises and the Goddess Peak viewpoint. The Little Three Gorges draw tourists.
Royal hunting ground and wetland
In Zhao Hun, hunting at Yunmeng is among the pleasures that tempt the lost soul home. Song Yu's pieces recall the king's expeditions on the marsh. Hunting scenes show the splendor of Chu kings.
Yunmeng was a vast marshland of lakes and forests used for royal hunts. Excavated Qin bamboo slips were found at Shuihudi in Yunmeng.
Yunmeng County preserves the Shuihudi Qin tomb site and a museum. Much of the marsh has been drained to farmland.
Southern lands beyond the Yangtze, place of exile
In Ai Ying and Huaisha, the poet in Jiangnan sees orchids withering and grieves for his country. He wanders in the southern wilds, barred from court. His final poems are composed here.
Jiangnan in Chu usage meant the lands south of the Yangtze, including Hunan. It was a remote frontier then.
Changsha is a major city with Yuelu Academy and Orange Isle Park. The Hunan Museum preserves Chu and Han culture.
Gateway to Chu's western river
In Ai Ying, Qu Yuan sails from the capital through Xiamen and the Xia estuary. He looks back at the western mounds of Ying and weeps. The river carries him away from home.
Yichang was strategically located at the Xiling Gorge, and the Yangtze route linked Chu to Sichuan. The Chu royal tombs lie nearby.
Yichang is the site of the Three Gorges Dam and Xiling Gorge sights. The Three Gorges Dam Tourist Zone is open to visitors.
More by Qu Yuan (with Song Yu and later Han dynasty poets): All Qu Yuan (with Song Yu and later Han dynasty poets) books
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