TWO SAGE RULERS
A mythical emperor renowned both for his wisdom and skill
in arms, Yao ruled over vast territories and brought peace to
southern China. He had nine sons, but considered none of
them capable of ruling. With the help of the gods, he
found a simple farmer called Shun, who was more skilled
and intelligent than Yao’s sons, and bequeathed his throne to
him. Shun became the second sage ruler.
Governing astutely, he visited every region of
his kingdom to ensure that the people obeyed
him and had what they needed. He quelled
rebellions south of the Yangtze River and
lived to be 100 years old.
THE QUELLING OF
THE FLOOD
Shun was gravely troubled by a great flood of
China’s rivers. The emperor of heaven had sent
the flood because he was angry with the sinful
ways of humanity. Gun, the grandson of the
emperor, took pity on humans and went down
to the Earth to build canals and drainage ditches.
When the emperor of heaven found out what
Gun had done without his permission, he
killed his grandson. But as Gun lay dead, a
dragon called Yu emerged from his body, saw
the terrible damage inflicted by the raging
waters, and flew to heaven to intercede on
behalf of the people of China. Upon hearing
Yu’s story, the emperor of heaven relented, and
allowed Yu to raise mountains, reroute rivers,
and build drainage channels so that the floods
could be controlled at last.THE INVENTOR OF FARMING
Another culture hero, Shen Nong, invented the art of farming.
A fertility god who helped plants grow, Shen Nong taught the
Chinese how to grow staple foods such as rice and wheat.
Some say that he invented the plough and devised ways of
growing crops in rotation to preserve the fertility of the fields.
Shen Nong is also attributed with revealing the many healing
properties of herbs, and is thus revered as the inventor of
Chinese traditional medicine. Originally
a mortal, Shen Nong was a herbalist who
poisoned himself while experimenting with herbs, but was
granted immortality by the gods for his bravery and dedication.
LEGENDS OF THE CHINESE HEROESControlling the flood
China’s long history of trying to control the floods of its major
rivers is reflected in its myths. Using large labour forces the
Chinese have raised banks and created dams to stem the floods.Shen Nong
The great Shen Nong was both an inventor of farming
implements and a pioneer herbalist who was very
much in tune with the environment.Shun
Legend has it that Shun
served Yao for 28 years as a
farmer before becoming
emperor himself.Ancient Chinese plough
Some myths say that Shen Nong
invented the plough, which has
been used in China for thousands
of years, with iron ploughs being
introduced in the 4th century BCE.Yao
Known as the Lord
of the Golden Age,
Yao was an ideal
ruler who enjoyed
a reign of 98 years.Weiqi
An ancient board game, in which two armies
engage in battle, Weiqi, or Go, was said to be
invented by Yao, who saw the game in a dream.109