Information about the Yellow River

The Yellow River is the mother river of the Chinese nation, and the Yellow River basin has been regarded as the cradle of Chinese civilization since ancient times. The historical facts of the capital establishment of dynasties in the Yellow River Basin are as follows: the Xia Dynasty established its capital at Yangcheng (today's Dengfeng, Henan Province), the Shang Dynasty established its capital at Bo (today's Shangqiu, Henan Province), later moved its capital to Yin (today's Anyang, Henan Province), and the Zhou Dynasty established its capital at Haojing (today's Shaanxi Province) Xi'an), the Qin Dynasty established its capital in Xianyang, the Western Han Dynasty established its capital in Chang'an (today's Xi'an, Shaanxi Province), the Eastern Han Dynasty established its capital in Luoyang, the Wei and Jin Dynasties all established their capitals in Luoyang, the Sui and Tang Dynasties established their capitals in Chang'an (today's Xi'an, Shaanxi Province), and the Song Dynasty established their capital in Tokyo (today's Xi'an, Shaanxi Province). Kaifeng, Henan).

First of all, China’s earliest Neolithic civilization appeared in the Yellow River Basin. For example, the Lantian Civilization and Banpo Civilization appeared in the Weihe River, a tributary of the Yellow River; the Longshan Civilization appeared in the Shandong Peninsula and so on. The reason why so many civilizations appeared in the Yellow River Basin is because the geographical environment of the Yellow River Basin is superior to that of the Yangtze River Basin. At that time, there were rhinoceros, elephants and other animals, bamboo and other subtropical plants near the Yellow River, indicating that the climate of the Yellow River Basin at that time was warm, just like now. In the Jiangnan area, the climate in Jiangnan at that time was not only hotter than now, but the geographical environment was not as good as that of the Yellow River Basin. It does not have large plains, and most of it is hills, which is not conducive to the survival of ancient humans.

Secondly, the first tribal leader to unify the tribes was Huangdi in the Yellow River Basin. Later, it was also Yu in the Yellow River Basin who established the first slave country.

Thirdly, all subsequent Chinese emperors valued the rich and fertile land in the Yellow River Basin when choosing countries. At that time, the Yellow River Basin did not need to build defensive levees as often as it does now. Therefore, the Yellow River Basin has been the political center, economic center, and cultural center in most of China's history. Many economic inventions and ideological systems originated from the Yellow River Basin. The Yellow River gave birth to romantic poets like Li Bai and great poets like Du Fu. It has influenced generations of Chinese people, making the Chinese nation as unrestrained as the water in the middle reaches of the Yellow River, and there have been heroic peasant uprisings again and again; like the water of the Yellow River, selfless dedication has produced countless good warriors like Lei Feng; like the water of the lower reaches of the Yellow River, With the same gentleness, Confucianism emerged that is admired by the whole world.

Although with the development of the economy, the Yellow River changed its course for the first time in the late Warring States period, and the southward movement of the Han people in the Eastern Jin and Southern Song Dynasties gradually made the southern economy catch up with and surpass the north in the Song Dynasty, by this time the Yellow River had already established its The status of one’s own mother river. The rulers therefore focused their rule on the north. This makes the Yellow River always a river closely related to the Chinese nation in Chinese history.

The Yellow River, known as the river in ancient times, originates from the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province, flows through 9 provinces and regions of Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, and Shandong, and finally ends in Shandong Province. Kenli County flows into the Bohai Sea. The total length of the main river is 5,464 kilometers, making it the second longest river in China after the Yangtze River. The Yellow River is also the fifth longest river in the world.

Legend has it that a long time ago, the ancient Yellow River was a wild horse that was difficult to tame. It ran at will, like a grinning monster, roaring day and night, surging incessantly, devouring thousands of hectares of fertile land. With millions of mountains gnawing at them, the Hui Han people on both sides of the Yellow River can only live a life of slash-and-burn farming on the tops of the mountains and at the bottom of the ditches.

At that time, Ningxia was not a flat plain, but was covered with overlapping green mountains and criss-crossing ravines. There was no flat field, and no field could be filled with water from the Yellow River.

Legend has it that there are several households of Hui and Han people living on Niushou Mountain. Several generations of them carry water at the bottom of the mountain and farm on the top of the mountain. The old and the young are busy all the time, but they don't have enough to eat or wear. No one can bear this torture for a long time.

One year, an old man named De, who was over seventy years old, opened a melon orchard on the mountain and planted some cucumbers. He got up early every day and went to the Yellow River to water the cucumbers. His shoulders were swollen and the soles of his feet were peeling. He carefully cultivated the cucumbers, and they grew tender and sweet.

The old man De was tired that day and fell asleep lying on the vegetable garden door.

As soon as he fell asleep, he dreamed of a white cloud floating in the sky. Gradually, the white cloud turned into a white-bearded imam, trembling his silver beard, and said to Mr. De: "Today there is an imam." You should pay attention to the two strong winds. There is a yellow wind at noon, which can make cucumbers wither; and there is a black wind in the afternoon, which can make cucumbers fall off. >

When the old man woke up, he saw that the white-bearded imam was no longer there. Instead, he saw that the yellow wind from the north was blowing all over the sky and came to Niushou Mountain. I felt very sad that a year's hard work had been wasted, but when I thought of the white-bearded imam's words, I didn't move.

At noon, a black wind passed by, shaking the mountains and shaking the leaves, and dropped a layer of leaves. Another layer. The old man saw that the cucumber was about to fall to the ground. He was so angry that he picked off a small and wilted cucumber and threw it into the Yellow River. It was like a god cutting it with a knife. Chu Di saw the bottom of the river. When the old man swooped down, the river suddenly closed up again. The old man was tired and hungry. He sat on the river bank, blinking, and the golden flowers were dancing, feeling dizzy. I don’t know anymore.

At this time, the old man De heard the white-bearded imam say again, "This cucumber is the key to conquering the Yellow River. It can stop the Yellow River from flowing, and it can also make the Yellow River listen to others. But now the Yellow River is tormenting the two Iblis, Huang Feng and Black Wind. You cannot be impatient, you must be patient, and you must work harder.

Next year, you plant another garden of cucumbers. When the cucumbers are ripe, you pick the biggest one and throw it into the Yellow River. At that time, you walked into the cave at the bottom of the river. You could pick out the jewelry, get the grain, and even have a sword that could slay dragons and monsters, and tame the Yellow River. Wherever you pointed, the Yellow River water would flow. ”

The next year, the industrious old man from Germany planted another garden of cucumbers. He was not afraid of the long journey and did not hesitate to sweat, carrying water from the Yellow River to water the melons. The hard work paid off, and in the end, the garden There was a three-foot-long cucumber inside, which looked like a key. The old man happily slept in the melon garden day and night until the melon was ripe.

On this day, the weather was so clear that there was no cloud. The old man picked off the three-foot-long cucumber, said "Tasmi", and threw it into the Yellow River. At this time, he heard a roar from the Yellow River, and a long crack was opened, and the stones on the bottom of the river could be clearly seen. Chu. The old man went down to the bottom of the river and saw a hole near the river bank. There were all kinds of pearls and agates in the hole. When he just walked out, he heard a strong wind roaring and waves rolling on the river. After a wave, the old man Gerd picked up his sword and slashed dozens of swords at the black whirlwind and yellow whirlwind.

At this time, the Yellow River broke. Gradually, the old man remembered the white-bearded imam's instructions that this sword could conquer the Yellow River. He became enlightened and thought: I will let the Yellow River fill the trenches and flatten the mountains. Holding two swords, the old man marched towards the Yellow River. The water of the Yellow River stopped flowing suddenly, as if there was a Great Wall in front of it, but it was getting higher and higher, which looked really scary from a distance.

Three days later, it reached Liupan Mountain in the south and Liupan Mountain in the west. As far as Helan Mountain, there was water everywhere, leaving only a few mountain peaks. Only then did the old man draw his sword and let the water of the Yellow River flow forward.

From then on, Ningxia became a mountainous place with deep ravines. The Hui Han people living on both sides of the Yellow River relied on their hard-working hands to dig canals and cultivate fields, and lived a happy life.

When Dayu governed the Yellow River, he had three treasures. One was the river map. ; The second is the mountain-breaking ax; the third is the water-avoiding sword. Legend has it that the River Map was given to Dayu by the Yellow River Water God.

In ancient times, there was a man named Feng Yi in Tong Township, Huayin. Farming with peace of mind, he wanted to become an immortal. He heard that people could turn into immortal bodies if they drank the juice of daffodils for a hundred days.

Before Dayu regulated the Yellow River, he could turn into an immortal. When it reaches the Central Plains, there is no fixed river course. It overflows everywhere and is often flooded with water. Feng Yi runs east and west looking for daffodils, often crossing the Yellow River. , often dealing with the Yellow River. Ninety-nine days later, he found a daffodil and sucked its juice for a day, and he became an immortal. He crossed the Yellow River and went to a small village to find daffodils. The water here was not deep, so Feng Yi waded across the river. When he reached the middle of the river, the water suddenly rose. He slipped and fell into the Yellow River, where he was drowned. Later, he was full of grievances and resentment, so he went to the Jade Emperor to report the situation of the Yellow River. The Jade Emperor was also very angry when he heard that the Yellow River was unregulated and was running wild everywhere, harming the people. After sucking the juice of the narcissus for ninety-nine days, it was time to become an immortal, so he asked Feng Yi if he would like to become the water god of the Yellow River and control the Yellow River. Feng Yi was overjoyed. Full of agreement. This will fulfill his wish to become an immortal, and secondly, he will be able to avenge his death by drowning.

Feng Yi became the water god of the Yellow River and was known as He Bo. He had never had to control floods before, so he suddenly took on the task of regulating the Yellow River. He was helpless and worried. What to do? Since I was not very knowledgeable and had no magical skills, I had no choice but to ask the Jade Emperor for advice. The Jade Emperor told him that in order to manage the Yellow River well, we must first understand the water conditions of the Yellow River and draw a river map. With the water conditions and river map of the Yellow River as a basis, it will be much easier to manage the Yellow River.

He Bo followed the Jade Emperor's instructions and was determined to draw a river map. He first went to his hometown and wanted to ask the villagers for help. The villagers all hated him for being idle and indolent, and no one paid him any attention. He went to the old man in the village and told him about his ambition to control the Yellow River. Later, when the old man saw that he had become an immortal and wanted to do something good for the people, he agreed to help him. From then on, Hebo and Hou Laohan traveled through mountains and rivers in all weathers to observe the water conditions of the Yellow River. The two of them ran away for several years, which finally made the old man sick from exhaustion. Later, the old man had no choice but to go back, leaving He Bo to continue observing the water conditions along the Yellow River. When they parted, the old man Hou repeatedly told He Bo that he should work hard to the end and not give up halfway. He would start regulating the Yellow River after drawing the map. Since there were not enough manpower, he persuaded the villagers to help.

Checking water conditions and drawing river maps is a chore. By the time He Bo finished drawing the river, he was already old and weak. He Bo looked at the river map and clearly drew where the Yellow River is deep and where it is shallow; where it is easy to break the embankment and where it is easy to burst; where it should be dug and where it should be blocked; where the water can be cut off and where the flood can be drained. I can only lament that I don’t have the strength to regulate the Yellow River according to the plan, which is very sad. He Bo thought that one day there would be a capable person to manage the Yellow River. At that time, granting him the river map would mean that he had not worried in vain.

He Bo spent his remaining years peacefully under the Yellow River and never appeared again. Unexpectedly, the Yellow River continued to rise and flooded frequently. The people knew that the Jade Emperor sent He Bo to control the water, but they did not see his face. They all scolded He Bo for not fulfilling his duties and not caring about the lives of the people.

The old man looked forward to Hebo every day in his hospital bed, and they didn't see him for several years. He was worried about the management of the Yellow River and wanted to find He Bo. His son's name was Yi, and he was a master of archery.

No matter what the old man said, Yi would not let him go to He Bo. Later, the old man refused to listen to his son's dissuasion. As a result, he encountered a burst in the Yellow River and was washed away and drowned. Even his body was not found. Hou Yi hated He Bo very much and said through gritted teeth that he would shoot He Bo to death sooner or later.

Later, when Dayu came out to control the floods, Hebo decided to give him the Yellow River map.

On this day, Hebo heard that Dayu came to the Yellow River with a mountain-opening ax and a water-avoiding sword, so he came out from the bottom of the water with the river map to look for Dayu. He Bo and Dayu had never met before, and they did not recognize each other. He Bo walked for a long time and was so tired that he wanted to take a rest when he saw a young man walking on the other side of the river. This young man was brave and majestic, he must be Dayu, so He Bo shouted and asked: "Hey, who are you?"

The young man on the other side was not Dayu, but Hou Yi. He looked up and saw an immortal old man shouting from the other side of the river, and asked: "Who are you?"

He Bo said loudly: "I am He Bo. You are Dayu. When Hou Yi heard that it was He Bo, he immediately became angry and sneered, saying, "I am Dayu." As he spoke, he drew his bow and drew an arrow without thinking about anything. The arrow hit He Bo's left eye. He Bo pulled out the arrow and covered his eyes, sweating from the pain. He cursed in his heart: "Damn Dayu, you are so unreasonable!" The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and he went to tear up the water map. At this moment, there was a sudden shout: "He Bo! Don't tear up the picture." He Bo reluctantly looked with his right eye and saw a man wearing a bamboo hat on the other side, stopping Hou Yi. This man was Dayu. He knew that He Bo had drawn a map of the Yellow River and was about to ask He Bo for advice. Hou Yi pushed Dayu away and stretched his bow again. Dayu grabbed him tightly and told He Bo about the difficulties of drawing pictures. Hou Yi regretted his rashness and shot He Bo out of his left eye.

Hou Yi waded across the river with Dayu. Hou Yi admitted his fault to He Bo. He Bo knew that Hou Yi was the son of Hou Laohan, so he didn't blame him much. Dayu said to He Bo: "I am Dayu, and I came to you specifically to ask for advice on how to regulate the Yellow River."

He Bo said: "My efforts and methods of regulating the river are all on this map. , I will grant it to you now."

When Dayu showed the picture, he saw that the picture was densely packed with circles, and the water conditions up and down, left and right of the Yellow River were clearly drawn. Dayu was very happy. He wanted to thank He Bo. When he raised his head, He Bo jumped into the Yellow River and disappeared.

Dayu obtained the map of the water conditions of the Yellow River. He worked day and night and based on the instructions on the map, he finally controlled the Yellow River.