Key Characters Analysis
- Hebo (Feng Yi): The Yellow River deity, originally a mortal who drowned and became a god according to Shanhaijing. Depicted as a white-bearded figure riding a dragon-drawn water chariot.
- Xi Menbao: A renowned official of Wei State during the Warring States period. His deeds of exposing superstitions and constructing water conservancy projects are recorded in Shiji’s “Biographies of the Wits”.
- Village Elders & Shamans: Local leaders who exploited the “River God’s Bride” ritual for profit, eventually punished by Xi Menbao.
Mythological Origins & Development
The story first appeared in Shiji, later expanded in Shuyuan and other Han Dynasty texts. It reflects ancient flood-prone Yellow River regions’ deification of natural disasters and the early seeds of atheistic thinking.
Complete Narrative
- Annual sacrifice of virgins to the river in Ye City
- Xi Menbao feigned participation, casting shamans into the river under pretext of “unworthy brides”
- Exposed the fraud, abolished the ritual, and built the Zhanghe Irrigation System
- Transformed Ye into a prosperous agricultural region through infrastructure development
Cultural Significance & Influence
- Literary references: Detailed in chapter 89 of Dongzhou Lieguo Zhi from the Ming Dynasty
- Artifacts: 2004 Han Dynasty stone relief unearthed in Handan depicting the sacrifice
- Folklore: Handan’s “Spring Ox” ceremony preserves water deity-related agricultural traditions
Modern Legacy & Inspiration
Featured in Chinese middle school textbooks, the 2019 Hebo Cultural Park uses AR technology to recreate historical scenes. Its emphasis on scientific rationality and people-centered governance remains relevant today.
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