FILE PHOTO: A rubbing of a Han Dynasty stone relief depicting the image of Yu, found in Jiaxiang, Shandong

The legend of Yu states that he was the great-grandson of the Yellow Emperor and the grandson of Emperor Zhuanxu [both were mythological emperors of ancient China]. In his childhood, Yu accompanied his father, Gun, to the Central Plains. During the reign of Emperor Yao, flooding in the Central Plains caused widespread disaster, and the people suffered greatly. Emperor Yao ordered Gun to control the flooding. Gun attempted to build embankments along the riverbanks, but the water continued to rise, and after nine years, the flood remained uncontrolled. Subsequently, Yu took over the task of flood control.

Yu’s dedication to flood control is best exemplified by the fact that he passed by his home three times without entering. He worked tirelessly, learning from his father’s failures and refining the flood control methods by focusing on dredging rivers. He harnessed the natural flow of water downhill, clearing the waterways to guide the floodwaters. Leading the people, he endured hardships, sleeping in the open and eating whatever he could, working all day in the mud and water to clear the channels and direct the floodwaters into rivers, eventually leading it to the sea. After thirteen years of effort, Yu succeeded in eliminating flooding disasters in the Central Plains. As a result of his achievements in flood control, the people, in gratitude, respectfully called him Yu the Great.

During the flood control project, Yu traveled across the land, gaining a thorough understanding of the geography, customs, resources and products of each region. He reorganized the country into nine regions and established the tributes for each region, managing them according to local customs.

In the thirty-third year of Emperor Shun’s reign, the throne was formally passed to Yu. Seventeen years later, Shun died while on a tour of the southern regions. Supported by the feudal lords, Yu officially ascended to the throne and established the Xia Dynasty.