Qu Yuan
Qu Yuan died in 278 BC, but the earliest known documented association between him and the "zong" dumplings occurs much later, in the mid 5th century ("Shishuo Xinyu" , or "A New Account of the Tales of the World")., And a widely observed popular cult around him did not develop until the 6th century AD, as far as can be substantiated by evidence. But by the 6th century, sources attest to the offering of "zongzi" on the Double Fifth Festival (5th day of the 5th month of the lunar calendar) being connected with the figure of Qu Yuan.