This story about Emperor Yu tames the flood and later ruling the country presents a crystallization of all the romances and myths about this heroic figure that have circulated in China from time immemorial.

This is a biography of a legendary Chinese emperor.

In remote antiquity, the Yellow River Valley was stricken by rampant floods year after year, which brought great calamities to the country and the people. Yu, leader of the Xia tribe, was appointed by Emperor Shun to tame the floods. Through 13 years of unremitting efforts, he finally completed dredging channels to lead the floodwaters to the sea, thereby bringing the Yellow River under permanent control and resettling the homeless people.

The legend of Yu the Great as the most celebrated flood tamer in Chinese history is a much-told tale. A variety of miraculous stories about him have been told for over 2,000 years, all having their origins in "Emperor Yu tames the flood"

This story about Emperor Yu tames the flood and later ruling the country presents a crystallization of all the romances and myths about this heroic figure that have circulated in China from time immemorial.

Personages Who Appear

in Emperor Yu Tames the Flood

Prologue

 Pan Gu Separates Sky and Earth,

 and thus the Vast Universe

 Nti Wa Creates Mankind,

 and thus the Teeming Terrestrial World

Chapter 1

 Constant Wars Lead to Rampant Floods,

 Failing to Harness the Floods,

 Kong Ren Almost Loses His Life

Chapter 2

 A Celestial Horse Takes Human Form to

 Control the Floods,

 Yu Is Born from Ntt Xi's Ribs

Chapter 3

 A Calamitous Drought

 Follows Failure of Flood-Control,

 Bie Ling Captures a Dragon

Chapter 4

 The Child Yu Outpaces His Tutor,

 Wenming Leaves Home to Study

Chapter 5

 Coming to the Fore in a Time of Difficulty,

 Gun Leads the Flood Battle,

 Writing a Pledge, He Faces a Deadly Blow

Chapter 6

 Stealing the Magic Soil and

 Fighting the Silver-bearded Dragon,

 Gun Faces a Trap after His First Victory

Chapter 7

 Beasts Infest the Way to the Master,

 A Beauty Shows up amidst Adventures

Chapter 8

 Wenming Is Trapped in the Dragon Spring

 with a Fierce Enemy,

 Saved by the Princess,

 He Is Given a Flood-quelling Pearl

Chapter O

 Black-faced Dragon Is Grateful to Wenming,

 Two Virtuous People Meet and Become Brothers

Chapter 10

 Gun Is Vilified by His Political Foes,

 and Argues with His Son

Chapter 11

 Finding a New Master,

 Inspecting Rivers and Mountains,

 Seeing His Father's Ill Omen

Chapter 12

 An Earthquake Breaches the Dikes,

 Gun Commits Suicide and Leaves a Will

Chapter 13

 The Commander-in-Chief Recommends

 Da Yu as Gun's Successor,

 A Brilliant Plan Is Produced

 Following the Master's Instruction

Chapter 14

 Da Yu Neglects His Mother to

 Rid the People of a Scourge,

 He Challenges the River Lord

Chapter 15

 Da Yu Wins a Fierce Fight with the River Lord,

 His Mother Passes Away,

 and He Hurries to Tame the Shimen Floods

Chapter 16

 Lady Yunhua Helps Da Yu to

 Cleave Dragons' Gate,

 Pollution Control at Mount Tushan

Chapter 17

 With Water as the Matchmaker,

 Da Yu and Tushan Jiao Marry,

 Da Yu Meets Fu Xi while Harnessing the Floods

Chapter 18

 Searching for Herbs in Snake Valley,

 Capturing the Silver Dragon

Chapter 19

 Da Yu Opens the Three Gates Valley,

 He Passes His Home for the Second Time

Chapter 20

 Da Yu Is Transformed into a Black Bear,

 A Monument Arises at Ox-Head Ridge

Chapter 21

 Closing Down a Counterfeiting Den,

 Da Yu Reaches the Sea with the Help of a Dream

Chapter 22

 Dismissed as Minister of Public Works,

 Da Yu Is Welcomed Home,

 Engrossed in Flood Control,

 He Passes Home Thrice

Chapter 23

 Da Yu Offers Himself to Heaven as a Sacrifice,

 He Overcomes Obstruction to

 His Water-Diversion Plan

Chapter 24

 The Water-Diversion Work Ends in Victory,

 Tushan Yao Turns to Stone and

 Da Yu Bares His Heart

Epilogue

 Shun Abdicates in Favor of Da Yu,

 Da Yu Shoulders Royal Responsibility