In ancient times, there was such a legend on the Yellow River. The Yellow River is known as the mother river of the Chinese nation. The Chinese nation has flourished in the Yellow River Basin for generations, and has stubbornly survived under the nourishment of the water of the Yellow River.
Legend has it that 4,000 to 5,000 years ago, there were many major floods in the Yellow river and Yangtze River basins of the primitive society of the mainland. The floods were vast and inundated vast fields, dense forests and many villages. People are displaced and forced to flee to steep peaks or hide in caves deep in the mountains. It rained year after year in Yaozhai, the Yellow River flooded, and the people of Dawn suffered greatly. Therefore, Yao, on the recommendation of his ministers, appointed the xiahou clan chieftain Cang Zhishui.
The Xia tribe originated from an ancient tribe in the northwest of the continent, a branch of the Yellow Emperor tribe. They moved eastward into the Yellow River Basin from the forward route of the former people, and then settled in the area from Songshan in Henan to Luoshui in Yishui. He acted decisively, but he was self-absorbed. Before leaving, he confidently said to Yao, "I can't cure the water, and I am willing to be punished." "The carp was anxious to cure the water and immediately began to treat the water. The carp tried to block the flood with stone soil. But the flood was too strong, and when it was blocked, it was even stronger, like a caged beast running left and right, and as a result, the disaster on the Yellow River was more serious, the houses in the nearby villages collapsed, and the people fled. The situation is terrible, the flood is getting worse and worse, after nine years, the carp has tried its best, but the water of the Yellow River has not yet subsided. At that time, Yao was already old and his ability was also declining, so he ceded the position of leader to the wise man Shun.
After Shun succeeded to the throne, he personally inspected the disaster area. Everywhere they went, the flood was vast and endless, and fertile fields and houses were submerged in the water. Due to the ineffective control of the water, which brought serious disasters to the people, Shun dismissed Cang from his post and sent him to Yushan, where he was soon killed. The tragic situation of the people made Shun sleepless all night. After much investigation, he decided to appoint Yu Zhishui, the son of Cang.
Inheriting his father's business, Yu is determined to quell the flood and save all the people. He knew very well that the stakes were high. First of all, the death of his father put a lot of pressure on him. In addition, if he can't cure Hong Shao, the situation will be even worse for those who are already homeless. He pondered for a long time and invited several famous elders to discuss the matter of water control. After a heated argument, Yu decided to divert the waters of the Yellow River.
On the fourth day of marriage, Yu bid farewell to his wife. With Hou Ji, Qi and other assistants embarked on a long and arduous road to water control. At that time, the population was sparse, and most of the place except for the river was deep ditches and barren mountains. Yu could only walk forward while opening the way, and his footprints covered almost the whole of China at that time, but Yu crossed the mountains and rivers with superhuman perseverance, mapping, measuring, and planning in various places. He also worked with others to carry stones to chop wood, and digging ditches in the river was a magnificent water control project, which was carried out slowly and painstakingly in the wind, frost, rain and snow. Yu lived in the open air for thirteen years in order to control the water. He was tired and thin, with a bent waist, bald nails, and a cushion on the soles of his feet.
Thirteen years, he passed home three times, but did not enter. It is said that once he passed by the front of the house when his son was born, and the child cried. He didn't even go in to see. The people he worked with were very impressed. The people of Yu Shuai descended from Jishi Mountain in Gansu and dredged the Yellow River all the way to the middle reaches of the Yellow River, which is now the junction of Hejin in Shanxi and Xi'an Xihancheng County. A high mountain was found blocking the way of the Yellow River, and the vast water of the Yellow River swirled back, flooding the tall Mengmen Mountain. Yu immediately ordered people to split a large mouth on the mountain, and the trapped Yellow River water roared like a floodgate. When it pours out, the sound of the water is deafening. Since then, it has been windy and unimpeded all year round. At that time, Yu named this place Dragon Gate. People call Longmen Yumen gate to commemorate his exploits.
Yu continued in the direction of the water, but as he walked, he found another mountain blocking the waterway. Yu ordered the people to open three gates on this mountain, named the Divine Gate, the Ghost Gate, and the Human Gate, which is now the famous 3-gate canyon. Dayu's footsteps traveled all over the banks of the Yellow River, and the flood of the Yellow River finally completely subsided.
The name of Dayu is praised by everyone, and the people of the whole country commemorate him in different forms. At that time, due to overwork, he once rested under a cypress tree, and people called this cypress tree a sacred cypress. There is also a temple commemorating Dayu, which has gradually multiplied over time to form the current town of Dayudu. Not far away, there is a place where Dayu stayed, which was called Yudian Village by later generations.
It is said that there are seven stone wells and two horseshoe pits near Sanmenxia, all of which are traces left by Dayu in those years, and Dayu completed his mission. People rebuild their homes and live and work in peace and contentment. This glorious and sacred achievement made Shun very excited. He immediately summoned Dayu and asked him to talk about his experience in water control. Yu Qian said, "This is not my job alone, I just took the advice of others." Shun nodded satisfactorily, and then talked to him about how to govern the country. Shun believes that Yu is a rare talent. So Shun gave way to Yu.
After Yu became the leader, he continued to do his duty for the tribe. Yupai Bogai distributes rice seeds to people in rainy, hot areas and lets them grow rice. Yu also sent Hou Ji, who was good at growing crops, to distribute various grains to people everywhere to settle the rations and seeds. He also taught people to cultivate, and his series of measures enabled the agriculture of that time to develop greatly.
Because of Yu's merits in controlling water and developing agriculture, the people of all ethnic groups have greatly supported him to praise his great deeds of not being afraid of difficulties and benefiting the people. Later generations called him Dayu. During the Dayu period, society entered a new stage. The Xia people mainly lived in the Loess Plains of the Yihe and Luohe Basins in the Songshan region of present-day Henan Province.