Chinese Folktale: The big water washed the Long Wang Temple
The big water washed the Long Wang Temple （大水冲了龙王庙）, and the family didn’t recognize one family （一家人不认识一家人）. This is a legend, but also a Chinese saying, which means that one…
Chinese folklore: God of Plague
The plague gods （瘟神） in Chinese folklore. They are Spring Plague Zhang Yuanbo, Summer Plague Liu Yuanda, Autumn Plague Zhao Gongming, Winter Plague Zhong Shiji, and General Manager of Plague…
Chinese Folk Stories: The Legend of Transparent mesa
The Transparent mesa of Yimeng Seventy Two mesas. There is a cave at the top of the mesa, and at one end of the cave, you can see through to…
Chinese Folktale: The Long (Dragon) King of the East Sea Sinking Dong Jing
This story is widely spread in Chinese folklore, telling people to cherish what they currently have and not to be too greedy. A long time ago, Yu Huang Da DI…
Chinese folktale: Birds Pay Homage to Feng (the Phoenix)
Feng (凤) refers to Feng Huang (the phoenix, 凤凰), the king of birds in ancient legends. In the olden days, it was a metaphor for a wise and holy monarch…
Chinese Folktale: The Long King Loses Chess
This is a folk tale of human beings’ victory over the immortal gods in chess, expressing the spirit of people’s courageous challenge and defiance. In the East Sea, there is…
Chinese Folktale: Hou Ji, God of Agriculture
Hou Ji （后稷）, a descendant of the Huang Di and the founder of the Zhou Dynasty, with the surname Ji and the name Abraham, was honoured as the King of…
Chinese Folklore: The Story of Shun
Historical Background Shun: One of the Five Emperors, recorded in Records of the Grand Historian as “Chonghua” with state name “Youyu”. The painted dragon plates from Taosi ruins (2300-1900 BCE)…
Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan: The Founding Ancestor of Chinese Civilization
I. Profile The Yellow Emperor, surnamed Gongsun and named Xuanyuan, was the legendary ruler of Youxiong Kingdom (present-day Xinzheng, Henan Province). Ancient texts describe him as divinely born with speaking…
The Unwritten Heavenly Scripture in Chinese Mythology: From Hetu Luoshu to Gui Guzi’s Wisdom Legacy
I. The Origin of the Heavenly Scripture: Hetu and Luoshu’s Mystical Revelation 1.1 Features and Mathematical Secrets Hetu (Yellow River Map) and Luoshu (Luo River Book) are regarded as the…