Introduction
Gonggong is the most destructive water deity in Chinese mythology, celebrated for reshaping the universe by “collapsing Buzhou Mountain”. Symbolizing the uncontrollability of natural forces, he is often depicted as a snake-bodied, red-haired god clutching a water rope. As both the flood source from Huainanzi and an ancient warning of modern ecological crises, his legend bridges myth and reality.
Origin
Gonggong’s prototype first appeared in Zuozhuan (《左传》), solidified in Huainanzi·Tianwenxun (《淮南子·天文训》). Legend states he was a Yan Emperor descendant controlling floods and tides. Warring States Liezi added his throne rivalry with Zhuan Xu, while Han Dynasty Records of the Grand Historian included him in the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors pantheon. Modern geology links Buzhou Mountain’s collapse to ancient tectonic movements.
Plot Overview
- Power Struggle: Lost the Heavenly Emperor throne to Zhuan Xu (颛顼)
- Cosmic Collision: Rammed his head into Buzhou Mountain (不周山), a legendary celestial pillar metaphorically associated with Kunlun Mountain (昆仑山) in Chinese cosmology
- Universal Imbalance:
- Sky tilted northwest (celestial bodies shifted westward)
- Earth sank southeast (Yangtze and Yellow Rivers formed)
- Cascade Effect: Triggered floods requiring Nüwa’s sky-mending and Yu the Great’s flood-controller
Relationships
- Zhuan Xu (颛顼): Rival, one of the Five Emperors
- Zhurong (祝融): Fire God, long-time enemy
- Nüwa (女娲): Subsequent sky-mender
- Yu the Great (大禹): Flood-controller who ended Gonggong’s chaos
Literary Sources
- Huainanzi·Tianwenxun (《淮南子·天文训》, Western Han): Earliest detailed account
- Liezi·Tangwen (《列子·汤问》, Warring States): Adds throne conflict context
- Records of the Grand Historian·Supplementary Three Sovereigns (《史记·补三皇本纪》, Tang): Official historical genealogy records
Folk Festivals & Customs
- Gonggong Sacrifice (7th day of the 1st lunar month)
- Northwestern arid regions pray for flood control
- Build Buzhou Mountain models to simulate collapse
- Sky-Mending Festival (20th day of the 1st lunar month)
- Shanxi residents repair roofs with five-colored stones, symbolizing cosmic restoration
Spiritual Significance
Gonggong embodies the duality of natural forces:
- Destruction-creativity dialectic (collapse caused disaster, yet shaped geography)
- Ecological impact of power struggles
- Human wisdom in responding to cosmic imbalance (Nüwa’s mending, Yu’s engineering)
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