Chapter 51: Da Yu and the Great Flood — 大禹治水 — Yu Who Succeeded by Digging Channels
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A RECORD OF ALL THINGS UNDER HEAVEN
As gathered from the oldest accounts that remain
PROLOGUE — CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
On the Matter of Da Yu and the Great Flood — 大禹治水 — Yu Who Succeeded by Digging Channels
His name is Da Yu — 大禹.
Da — 大 — means great. Grand. Large. The one who is greater than ordinary.
Yu — 禹 — is his name. It is an ancient character. It appears almost nowhere except in his name. It is the name of the one who stopped the flood.
Together — 大禹 — Great Yu. The Great One Who Stopped the Waters.
He is also called Yu the Great — 禹王 — Yu Wang. He is also called the Founder of the Xia Dynasty — 夏朝開國之君 — Xia Chao Kai Guo Zhi Jun. He is also called the Tamer of the Flood — 治水英雄 — Zhi Shui Ying Xiong.
He is the one who succeeded where his father failed. He is the one who dug the channels. He is the one who drained the waters. He is the one who made the land habitable. He is the one who founded the first dynasty of China.
The Great Flood is recorded in the earliest Chinese texts. It was a flood that covered the world. It destroyed the land. It killed the people. It threatened to end civilization. Yu stopped it. He worked for thirteen years. He passed his own house three times without entering. He dug the channels that still carry the rivers of China today. He saved the world.
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On the oldest records of the Great Flood.
The Great Flood is recorded in the earliest Chinese texts.
The Shangshu — 尚書 — the Book of Documents — one of the Five Classics — 五經 — Wu Jing — contains the oldest account. The Shangshu was compiled during the Western Zhou dynasty — 西周 — Xi Zhou — approximately 1000 before the common era. It claims to record events from the Xia dynasty — 夏朝 — Xia Chao — which would place its origin before 1600 before the common era.
The Yao Dian — 堯典 — the Canon of Yao — chapter states: The flood waters were rising. They covered the mountains. They surrounded the hills. The people were suffering. Emperor Yao — 帝堯 — Di Yao — asked who could control the waters. The officials recommended Gun — 鯀 — Yu's father. Yao said: Gun is disobedient. He will destroy the tribe. The officials said: let him try. Yao agreed. Gun worked for nine years. He failed. The flood continued.
The Shiji — 史記 — Records of the Grand Historian — by Sima Qian — 司馬遷 — written approximately 100 before the common era — records the full story. Sima Qian states: The flood was immense. It was beyond the memory of the people. It had been there for generations. Gun tried to stop it by building dikes. He built walls of earth. He blocked the waters. The waters rose higher. They broke through. They destroyed what he built. He failed. He was executed.
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On Gun — 鯀 — the father who failed.
Gun — 鯀 — was the father of Yu. He was the one who first tried to stop the flood.
The Shanhaijing — 山海經 — the Classic of Mountains and Seas — records: Gun was a grandson of the Yellow Emperor — 黃帝 — Huang Di. He was a god. He was a mortal. The accounts do not agree. He was given the task of stopping the flood.
He tried to stop the flood by building dikes — 堤防 — di fang. He built walls of earth. He blocked the rivers. He tried to contain the waters. The waters rose. They rose behind the dikes. They rose higher. They rose until they overflowed. The dikes broke. The waters rushed out. The destruction was worse than before.
He worked for nine years — 九年 — jiu nian. He did not succeed. He was executed by the Emperor Shun — 舜 — Shun — who had succeeded Yao. He was executed at Yushan — 羽山 — Feather Mountain. His body lay there. It did not decay. It waited.
The Shanhaijing records: Gun's body did not decay. After three years, the people cut it open. Yu emerged from his father's body. He was born from the corpse of his father. He was the one who would succeed.
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On the birth of Yu — born from his father's body.
The birth of Yu is recorded in the Shanhaijing and the Guoyu — 國語 — the Discourses of the States.
Gun was executed. His body lay at Yushan. It did not decay. After three years, the people cut open his belly. A child emerged. The child was Yu. Yu was born from his father's corpse. He was born to finish what his father started.
The Guoyu records: Gun transformed into a yellow bear — 黃熊 — huang xiong — after his death. He entered the abyss. He became a spirit of the waters. He continued to work. He helped his son from the depths. He never stopped trying to stop the flood.
Yu was raised by his mother. He was taught by the gods. He was prepared for his task. He was the one who would succeed where his father failed.
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On the appointment of Yu — how he was chosen.
After Gun failed, the flood continued. The Emperor Shun — 舜 — Shun — had succeeded Yao. He needed someone to stop the flood.
The Shiji records: Shun asked the officials: who can continue the work? The officials recommended Yu. They said: Yu is the son of Gun. He is capable. He is wise. He is strong. He can succeed where his father failed.
Shun appointed Yu. He gave him the task. He gave him the resources. He gave him the authority. He said: finish what your father started. Stop the flood.
Yu accepted. He worked for thirteen years — 十三年 — shi san nian. He did not stop. He did not rest. He did not return home. He worked until the flood was stopped.
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On the method of Yu — digging channels.
Gun had tried to stop the flood by blocking the waters. Yu tried a different method. He dug channels — 疏導 — shu dao. He opened paths for the waters. He let them flow. He guided them to the sea.
The Shiji records: Yu dug channels through the mountains. He cut passages through the rocks. He deepened the rivers. He widened the streams. He created paths for the water to follow. The water flowed. The flood receded. The land was revealed.
He studied the land. He learned where the water was high and where it was low. He learned where the water could flow and where it was blocked. He cut through the blockages. He opened the paths. He let the water find its way.
He worked with the people. He led them. He taught them. He dug with them. He carried earth with them. He moved stones with them. He was not above the work. He was in the work. He was of the work.
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On the nine provinces — 九州 — Jiu Zhou.
After the flood receded, Yu divided the land. He created the Nine Provinces — 九州 — Jiu Zhou. He named them. He marked their boundaries. He assigned them to the people.
The Shangshu records the Nine Provinces:
Ji Province — 冀州 — Ji Zhou.
Yan Province — 兗州 — Yan Zhou.
Qing Province — 青州 — Qing Zhou.
Xu Province — 徐州 — Xu Zhou.
Yang Province — 揚州 — Yang Zhou.
Jing Province — 荊州 — Jing Zhou.
Yu Province — 豫州 — Yu Zhou.
Liang Province — 梁州 — Liang Zhou.
Yong Province — 雍州 — Yong Zhou.
These nine provinces became the foundation of Chinese geography. They were the divisions of the land. They were the basis of the state. They were the structure on which civilization was rebuilt. Yu created them. He gave the land back to the people.
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On the Yu Gong — 禹貢 — the Tribute of Yu.
The Yu Gong — 禹貢 — the Tribute of Yu — is a chapter of the Shangshu. It records the work of Yu. It describes the rivers he channeled. It describes the mountains he cut. It describes the provinces he created. It describes the tribute each province paid.
The Yu Gong is one of the oldest geographical texts in China. It is attributed to Yu. The attribution is traditional. The text was compiled later. It is based on the work of Yu. It records what he did. It preserves his memory.
The Yu Gong states: Yu followed the mountains. He cut down the trees. He determined the high hills and the great rivers. He worked. He succeeded. The flood was stopped. The land was ordered. The people were saved.
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On the three times he passed his house — 三過家門而不入 — San Guo Jia Men Er Bu Ru.
The most famous story of Yu is the story of the three times he passed his house without entering.
He was working. He was digging channels. He was guiding the waters. He passed his own house. He heard his wife crying. She had just given birth. His son was a newborn. He wanted to enter. He wanted to see his wife. He wanted to see his son. He did not enter. He continued working.
He passed his house a second time. His son called to him. His son said: Father, come home. He wanted to enter. He wanted to hold his son. He wanted to see his family. He did not enter. He continued working.
He passed his house a third time. His son ran to him. His son grabbed his hand. His son said: Father, stay. He wanted to stay. He wanted to be with his family. He wanted to rest. He did not stay. He continued working.
He worked for thirteen years. He did not return home. He did not rest. He did not stop. He worked until the flood was stopped. He worked until the land was saved. He worked until the people were safe.
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On the tools of Yu — the Divine Axe and the Measure.
Yu used special tools for his work. They are recorded in the texts.
The Divine Axe — 神斧 — shen fu — was given to him by the gods. It could cut through mountains. It could split rocks. It could carve channels through the hardest stone. Yu used it to cut the passages for the rivers.
The Measure — 規矩 — gui ju — was the square and compass. Yu used them to measure the land. He determined where the water was high and where it was low. He determined where the channels should be dug. He determined the course of the rivers.
The Ruyi Jingu Bang — 如意金箍棒 — the As-You-Will Gold-Banded Cudgel — was originally Yu's tool. It was used to measure the depth of the floodwaters. It was an iron pillar. It could extend and contract. Yu used it to gauge how deep the waters were and how much remained to be drained. After his work was complete, the pillar was left in the East Sea. It became the Pillar That Holds Down the Sea — 定海神針 — Ding Hai Shen Zhen. Later, it was taken by Sun Wukong — 孫悟空 — the Monkey King — as his weapon. The weapon of Yu became the weapon of the Monkey King.
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On the rivers Yu created — the Yellow River and the Yangtze.
The two great rivers of China were shaped by Yu.
The Yellow River — 黃河 — Huang He — was wild. It flooded often. It changed course. It destroyed the land. Yu channeled it. He cut the Longmen Gorge — 龍門 — Longmen — the Dragon Gate. He carved a path through the mountains. The river flowed through the gate. It was controlled. It was tamed. It became the river that nourishes the north.
The Yangtze River — 長江 — Chang Jiang — was also wild. It flooded the south. It covered the fields. It drowned the people. Yu channeled it. He cut the Three Gorges — 三峽 — San Xia. He carved a path through the mountains. The river flowed through the gorges. It was controlled. It was tamed. It became the river that nourishes the south.
The rivers still flow through the channels Yu cut. They have flowed for four thousand years. They still flow today.
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On the dragon gate — 龍門 — Longmen.
The Longmen — 龍門 — the Dragon Gate — is a gorge on the Yellow River. Yu cut it. He split the mountain. He opened a passage for the water. The water rushed through. The flood was drained. The land was revealed.
The Dragon Gate became famous. It is said that carps that swim up the river and leap over the gate become dragons — 魚躍龍門 — yu yue long men. The carps that succeed are transformed. They become dragons. They ascend to heaven. They are honored. They are the ones who succeeded.
The story of the carp leaping the Dragon Gate is a symbol of success. It is a symbol of perseverance. It is a symbol of transformation. It comes from the work of Yu. He cut the gate. He made the passage. He made the transformation possible.
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On the Yu Mausoleum — 禹陵 — Yu Ling.
Yu died on a hunting trip. He died at Mount Kuaiji — 會稽山 — Kuaiji Shan — in present-day Zhejiang province — 浙江省 — Zhejiang Sheng.
His mausoleum is at Mount Kuaiji. It has been maintained for over four thousand years. Emperors made offerings at the tomb. Officials made offerings at the tomb. People made offerings at the tomb.
The mausoleum is still there. It still receives pilgrims. They come to honor the one who stopped the flood. They come to honor the one who founded the Xia dynasty. They come to honor the one who saved the world. They come to honor Yu.
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On the founding of the Xia dynasty — 夏朝 — Xia Chao.
After the flood was stopped, Yu was made the ruler. The people honored him. The tribes submitted to him. He established the Xia dynasty — the first dynasty of China.
The Shiji records: Yu established his capital at Anyi — 安邑 — in present-day Shanxi province — 山西省 — Shanxi Sheng. He divided the land into provinces. He established the tribute system. He created the laws. He created the government. He created the state.
He ruled for forty-five years — 四十五年 — si shi wu nian. He died. His son Qi — 啟 — succeeded him. The Xia dynasty continued. It ruled for over four hundred years. It was the beginning of Chinese civilization. It began with Yu.
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On the bronze vessels of Yu — the Nine Tripods — 九鼎 — Jiu Ding.
After Yu founded the Xia dynasty, he cast nine tripods — 九鼎 — jiu ding. Each tripod represented one of the Nine Provinces — 九州 — Jiu Zhou. The tripods were made of bronze. They were decorated with the images of the creatures of the land. They were the symbols of state.
The tripods were passed down through the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties. They were the symbols of the Mandate of Heaven — 天命 — Tianming. The dynasty that held the tripods held the mandate. The dynasty that lost the tripods lost the mandate.
The tripods were lost at the end of the Zhou dynasty. They were never found. They are still lost. They are still sought. They are the symbols of the beginning. They are the symbols of Yu. They are the symbols of the flood that was stopped. They are the symbols of the land that was saved.
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On what he represents.
He represents the perseverance that saves the world. He represents the work that is done for others. He represents the sacrifice that is made for the people.
He worked for thirteen years. He passed his house three times without entering. He did not rest. He did not stop. He did not go home. He worked until the flood was stopped. He worked until the land was saved. He worked until the people were safe.
He is not a god. He is a human. He is a human who did what was needed. He is a human who did not give up. He is a human who saved the world.
He is Da Yu. He is Great Yu. He is the Tamer of the Flood. He is the Founder of the Xia Dynasty. He is the one who dug the channels. He is the one who drained the waters. He is the one who made the land habitable. He is the one who saved the world.
The rivers he channeled still flow. The provinces he created still exist. The dynasty he founded ruled for four hundred years. The memory of his work has lasted four thousand years. It will last longer. It will last as long as the rivers flow. It will last as long as the land is cultivated. It will last as long as there are people to remember. He is Yu. He is the one who stopped the flood.
END OF CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE