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the Great

Yu the Great (Chinese: 大禹; : Dà Yǔ, c. 2200 on the slopes of , just south of the Yellow – 2100 BC)*[1] was a legendary ruler in ancient River.*[13] He later married a woman from Mount Tu famed for his introduction of flood control, inaugurating (Chinese: 塗山) who is generally referred to as Tushan- dynastic rule in China by founding the , and shi (塗山氏; “Lady Tushan”).*[14] They had a son for his upright moral character.*[2]*[3] named , a name literally meaning “revelation”.*[14] The dates proposed for Yu's reign precede the oldest The location of Mount Tu has always been disputed. known written records in China, the oracle bones of the The two most probable locations are Mount Tu in late , by nearly a millennium.*[4] No in- Province and the Tu Peak of the Southern Mountain in scriptions on artifacts from the supposed era of Yu, nor Municipality. the later oracle bones, make any mention of Yu; he does not appear in inscription until vessels dating to the period (c. 1045–771 BC). The lack of any- 2 Great Yu Controls the Waters thing remotely close to contemporary documentary evi- dence has led to some controversy over the historicity of Yu. Proponents of the historicity of Yu theorise that sto- ries about his life and reign were transmitted orally in var- ious areas of China until they were recorded in the ,*[5] while opponents believe the figure existed in legend in a different form - as a god or mythical animal - in the Xia dynasty, and morphed into a human figure by the start of the Zhou dynasty. Many of the stories about Yu were collected in 's famous Records of the Grand Historian. Yu and other “sage-kings”of Ancient China were lauded for their virtues and morals by and other Chinese teachers.*[6] Yu is one of the few Chinese rulers posthumously hon- ored with the epithet "the Great".

1 Ancestry and early life

For a family tree, see: Family tree of ancient Chinese emperors

According to several ancient Chinese records, Yu was the 8th great-grandson of the : Yu's father was the 5th great-grandson of Emperor ; Zhuanxu's father, Changyi, was the second son of the Yel- low Emperor.*[7]*[8]*[9]*[10] Yu was said to have been born at Mount Wen (汶 山), in modern-day Beichuan Dynasty depiction of Yu. County, Province,*[11] though there are debates as to whether he was born in instead.*[12] Yu's mother was of the Youxin clan named either Nüzhi (女 Main article: (China) 志) or Nüxi (女嬉). When Yu was a child, his father Gun moved the people During the reign of king Yao, the Chinese heartland was east toward the Central Plain. King Yao enfeoffed Gun frequently plagued by floods that prevented further eco- as lord of Chong, usually identified as the middle peak nomic and social development.*[15] Yu's father, Gun, of Mount Song. Yu is thus believed to have grown up was tasked with devising a system to control the flooding.

1 2 3 THE

He spent more than nine years building a series of dikes rendering countless number of people homeless, he could and dams along the riverbanks, but all of this was ineffec- not rest.*[14]*[18] tive, despite (or because of) the great number and size of Yu supposedly killed Gong Gong's minister , a these dikes and the use of a special self-expanding soil. nine-headed snake monster. As an adult, Yu continued his father's work and made a careful study of the river systems in an attempt to learn why his father's great efforts had failed. 3 The Nine Provinces Collaborating with Houji, a semi-mythical agricultural master about whom little is concretely known, Yu suc- Main articles: , Nine Provinces (China) and cessfully devised a system of flood controls that were cru- Nine Tripod Cauldrons cial in establishing the prosperity of the Chinese heart- land. Instead of directly damming the rivers' flow, Yu made a system of irrigation canals which relieved flood- King Shun, who reigned after Yao, was so impressed by water into fields, as well as spending great effort dredging Yu's engineering work and diligence that he passed the the riverbeds.*[9] Yu is said to have eaten and slept throne to Yu instead of to his own son. Yu is said to have with the common workers and spent most of his time initially declined the throne, but was so popular with other personally assisting the work of dredging the silty beds local lords and chiefs that he agreed to become the new of the rivers for the thirteen years the projects took to emperor, at the age of fifty-three. He established a capital complete. The dredging and irrigation were successful, at Anyi (Chinese: 安邑), the ruins of which are in mod- and allowed ancient to flourish along the ern Xia County in southern Province, and founded , River, and other waterways of the - what would be called the Xia Dynasty, traditionally con- nese heartland. The project earned Yu renown through- sidered China's first dynasty.*[19] out Chinese history, and is referred to in Chinese history Yu's flood control work is said to have made him inti- 大禹治 as “Great Yu Controls the Waters” (Chinese: mately familiar with all regions of what was then Han 水 ; pinyin: Dà Yǔ Zhì Shuǐ). In particular, Mount Long- Chinese territory. According to his Yu Gong treatise in men along the Yellow River had a very narrow channel the , Yu divided the Chinese“world” which blocked water from flowing freely east toward the into nine zhou or provinces. These were Jizhou (冀 ocean. Yu is said to have brought a large number of work- 州), Yanzhou (兗 州), (青 州), (徐 ers to open up this channel, which has been known ever 州), (揚州), (荊州), (豫州), “ ” 禹門口 * since as Yu's Gateway (Chinese: ). [9] Liangzhou (梁州) and Yongzhou (雍州).*[20] According to the Rites of Zhou there was no Xuzhou 2.1 Apocryphal stories or Liangzhou, instead there were Youzhou (幽州) and Bingzhou (并州), but according to the there was In a mythical version of this story, presented in Wang 's no Qingzhou or Liangzhou, instead there was Youzhou 4th century AD work Shi , Yu is assisted in his work (幽州) and Yingzhou (營州).*[20] Either way there were by a yellow and a black turtle (not necessarily re- nine divisions. Once he had received from these lated to the of ).*[16] nine territories, he created vessels called the Nine Another local myth says that Yu created the Tripod Cauldrons.*[21] Yu then established his capital at "Three Passes Gorge" of the Yangzi River by cutting a City (陽城).*[22] According to the Bamboo An- mountain ridge with a divine battle-axe to control flood- nals, Yu killed one of the northern leaders, Fangfeng (防 ing.*[17] 風) to reinforce his hold on the throne.*[23]*[24] Traditional stories say that Yu sacrificed a great deal of his body to control the floods. For example, his hands were said to be thickly callused, and his feet were com- pletely covered with callus. In one common story, Yu had only been married four days when he was given the task of fighting the flood. He said goodbye to his wife, saying that he did not know when he would return. During the thirteen years of flooding, he passed by his own family's doorstep three times, but each time he did not return in- side his own home. The first time he passed, he heard that his wife was in labor. The second time he passed by, his son could already call out to his father. His family urged him to return home, but he said it was impossible as the flood was still going on. The third time Yu was pass- ing by, his son was older than ten years old. Each time, Yu refused to go in the door, saying that as the flood was Yu mausoleum in 5.2 Modern 3

4 Death morphed into the first man, who could control water, and it was only during the Zhou Dynasty that the legendary figures that now precede Yu were added to the orthodox legendary lineage.

5.2 Modern

In the Republic of China era Sun Yat-sen envisioned great plans for water control like , includ- ing a 30 million horsepower dam across the River.*[28] However the plans did not come into be- ing as the Kuomintang were at war with and the Communist Party of China.*[28]*[29] Beichuan, Wenchuan and towns in Sichuan have all made claims to be the birthplace of Yu the great.*[30] Yu temple in Yu mausoleum

According to the , Yu ruled the Xia Dy- nasty for forty-five years and, according to Jueshu (越 6 See also 絕書), he died from an illness.*[24]*[25] It is said that he died at Mount Kuaiji, south of present-day Shaoxing, • Chinese emperors family tree (ancient) while on a hunting tour to the eastern frontier of his • empire, and was buried there. The Yu mausoleum (大 Flood myth 禹 陵 ) known today was first built in the 6th century • Great Flood (China) CE (Southern and Northern Dynasties period) in his honor.*[26] It is located four kilometers southeast of • Natural disasters in China Shaoxing city.*[26] Most of the structure was rebuilt many times in later periods. The three main parts of the • mausoleum are the Yu tomb (禹陵), temple (禹廟) and memorial (禹祠).*[27] In many statues he is seen car- rying an ancient hoe (耒耜). A number of emperors in 7 References imperial times travelled there to perform ceremonies in * his honor, notably Shi . [25] [1] Wang Quangen 王泉根, (1993). Quming Yishu 華夏取名藝術. (: Zhishu-fang Chuban Jituan 知 書房出版集團), 42. 5 Place in and cul- [2] Mungello, David . (2009). The Great Encounter of China ture and the West, 1500–1800 (3 ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. p. 97. ISBN 9780742557987.

5.1 Historicity [3] 戴逸, 龔書鐸. [2002] (2003) 中國通史. 史前夏商西 周. Intelligence press. ISBN 962-8792-80-6. p 40. Because no documentary evidence about Yu survives, there is some controversy as to the historicity of the fig- [4] Underhill, Anne P., ed. (2013). A Companion to Chinese ure. No inscriptions on artifacts dated to the supposed Archaeology. Wiley-Blackwell. p. 317. ISBN 978-1- 4443-3529-3. era of Yu, or the later oracle bones, contain any men- tion of Yu. The first archeological evidence of Yu comes [5] Allan, Sarah (1991). The Shape of the Turtle: Myth, Art, from vessels made about a thousand years later, during and Cosmos in Early China. State University of New York the Western Zhou dynasty. Press. p. 21. ISBN 978-0-7914-9449-3.

The Doubting Antiquity School of early 20th century his- [6] 戴逸, 龔書鐸. [2002] (2003) 中國通史. 史前夏商西 torians, for example, theorised that Yu was not a person 周. Intelligence press. ISBN 962-8792-80-6. p 36. in the earliest legends, but a god or mythical animal, who was connected with water and possibly with the mythical [7] (律曆志) chapter Dragon Kings and their control over water. According [8] Book of Lineages (世本) to this theory, Yu (as god or animal) was represented on ceremonial bronzeware by the early Xia people, and by [9] 戴逸, 龔書鐸. [2002] (2003) 中國通史. 史前夏商西 the start of the Zhou Dynasty, the legendary figure had 周. Intelligence press. ISBN 962-8792-80-6. p 38. 4 7 REFERENCES

[10] Zynews.com. "Zynews.com.”Xia dynasty brief history. [28] , -Sen. [2007] (2007). Reconstruction designs Retrieved on 2010-09-18. of lost ancient Chinese machinery Volume 3 of History of mechanism and machine science. ISBN 1-4020-6459- [11] ".gov.cn.”四川省汶川縣情及人文地理. (Chi- 4, ISBN 978-1-4020-6459-3. p 48. nese) Retrieved on 2010-09-18. [29] From 1994 to 2008 the Dam was built on [12] Scta.gov.cn. "Scta.gov.cn.”(Chinese) Retrieved on 2010- the Yangtze River 09-18. [30] Sichuan.scol.com.cn. "Scol.com.cn.”发现西羌古道有 [13] Hubeiwater.gov.cn. Hubeiwater.gov.cn 大禹三过家门 关遗迹大禹故乡迷雾更浓. Retrieved on 2010-09-26. 而不入与洪湖抗洪十字歌的精神浅谈. (Chinese). Retrieved on 2010-09-18.

[14] Wang Hengwei 王恆偉. (2006) Zhongguo Lishi Jiangtang 中國歷史講堂 #1 Yuan Chunqiu 遠古至春秋. Zhonghua Shuju 中華書局. ISBN 962-8885-24-3. p 18.

[15] , Xing. Rhetoric in ancient China, fifth to third cen- tury, B.C.E.: a comparison with classical Greek rhetoric. [1998] (1998). Univ of South Carolina Press publishing. ISBN 1-57003-216-5, ISBN 978-1-57003-216-5. p 46– 47.

[16] Lewis, Mark Edward (2006), The flood myths of early China, SUNY series in and culture, SUNY Press, pp. 104–105, 191–192, ISBN 0-7914- 6663-9 (especially, notes 90 and 97). The relevant text is in Shi , Chapter 2:" 黃龍曳尾於前，玄龜負青 泥於後", etc.

[17] Destguides.com. "Destguides.com.”Sanmenxia. Re- trieved on 2010-09-26.

[18] 王恆偉. (2005) (2006) 中國歷史講堂 #1 遠古至春秋. 中華書局. ISBN 962-8885-24-3. p 19.

[19] 王恆偉. (2005) (2006) 中國歷史講堂 #1 遠古至春秋. 中華書局. ISBN 962-8885-24-3. p 21.

[20] Ng Saam-sing 吾三省. (2008). Zong-guok Man-faa Bui- ging Bat-cin Ci 中國文化背景八千詞. Hong Kong: Seong Mou Jan Syu Gwun 商務印書館 (香港). ISBN 962-07-1846-1, ISBN 978-962-07-1846-5. p 37.

[21] Bjaaland Welch, Patricia. [2008] (2008). : a guide to motifs and visual imagery. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 0-8048-3864-X, 9780804838641. p 262.

[22] 李玉潔. [2003] (2003). 中國早期國家性質. 知書房出 版集團. ISBN 986-7938-17-8, ISBN 978-986-7938-17- 6.

[23] 王仲孚. [1996] (1996). 中國上古史專題研究. 五南 圖書出版股份有限公司. ISBN 957-11-1290-9, ISBN 978-957-11-1290-9. p 392.

[24] Bamboo Annals Xia chapter

[25] Chinaculture.org. "Chinaculture.org.”大禹祭典. Re- trieved on 2010-09-26.

[26] China.org.cn. "China.org.cn.”Yu Mausoleum. Retrieved on 2010-09-26.

[27] lvyou.eco.gov.cn. "lvyou.eco.gov.cn.”治水英雄大禹的 葬地：大禹陵. Retrieved on 2010-09-26. 5

8 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

8.1 Text

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8.2 Images

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8.3 Content license

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