Da Yu

Yu the Great

Yǔ (Chinese: 禹 (21st century BC), born Sì Wénmìng Chinese: 姒文命), often regarded with legendary status as Yu the Great (大禹 Dà-Yǔ), was the first ruler and founder of the Xia Dynasty. Occasionally identified as one of The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, he is best remembered for teaching the people flood control techniques to tame China's rivers and lakes.

Yu established his capital at Yang City(阳城), according to Bamboo Annals, on the second year of his regime, the prime minister of the previous king of Shun died. On the 5th year, he held the first meeting with all the leaders of states (诸侯) at Tushan(涂山). On the 8th year, he held the second meeting with all the leaders of states at Kuaiji (会稽)，and in order to reinforce his throne, he killed one of northern state leader, Fangfeng (防风氏).

Yu and the flood

During China's Great Flood Yu's father, Gun (鯀), was assigned by King Yao (堯) to tame the raging waters. Gun built earthen dikes all over the land in hopes of containing the waters. But the earthen dikes collapsed everywhere, and the project failed miserably. Gun was executed by King Shun (舜) to whom Yao had meanwhile handed the rulership. Shun recruited Yu as successor to his father's job at flood-control. But instead of building more dikes, Yu began to dredge out new river channels, to serve both as outlets for the torrential waters, and as irrigation conduits to distant farm lands. Yu spent a backbreaking thirteen years at this task, with the help of some 20,000 workers.

Not only for this engineering feat, Yu has been remembered as examplar of perseverance and determination, and revered as the perfect civil servant. Stories continue to dwell on his single-minded dedication, where in spite of passing his own house three times in the thirteen years, he never once stopped in for a family visit — reasoning that a personal reunion would take time and mind away from the public crisis at hand.

King Shun was so impressed by Yu's engineering and by his diligence that he passed the throne to Yu instead of to his own son, following King Yao's example in meritocracy. At the end of Great Yu's life, however, his ministers argued in favour of handing the kingship on to Yu's son, Qi (啟), instituting a hereditary monarchy, and thus gave birth to China's first hereditary dynasty, the Xia Dynasty (ca.2070-1060).

Death

According to historical texts, Yu died at Mount Kuaiji (south of present day Shaoxing) while on a hunting tour on the southern frontier of his empire, and was buried there, where a mausoleum was built in his honor. A number of emperors in imperial times have travelled there to perform ceremonies in his honour, notably Qin Shi Huang. A temple, Dayu Ling (大禹陵), has been built on the traditional site where the ceremonies are performed. He ruled China for 45 years according to Bamboo Annals.

Yu the Mythology Figure

In many versions of the Flood mythology, Yu seems to be in possession of God-like characteristics. For example, his brilliant engineering idea was, according to some, caused by the "Divine Favor" of the "Responding Dragon and the turtle."

Yu is further mythologized when he supposedly was born out of the corpse of his father, Gun (or Kun).

Trivia

The science fiction television show Stargate SG-1 featured a character based on Yu; he was a Goa'uld System Lord also named Yu.

External link

• http://www.threekingdoms.com/history.htm#3_1

zh-classical:夏禹

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