The Hetu and Luoshu in Chinese Mythology

I. Introduction to Hetu and Luoshu

Hetu (Yellow River Map) and Luoshu (Luo River Book) are mystical symbols at the origin of Chinese civilization. Hetu is a circular pattern with black and white dots arranged like celestial bodies, symbolizing cosmic order. Luoshu is a square nine – palace grid where numbers 1 – 9 form a magic square with odd and even numbers alternating. Together they form the core of “Heluo Culture,” known as the “Book of Heaven without Words.”

II. Origins

1. Birth of Hetu
   According to the I Ching, during floods in ancient times, Fuxi observed a dragon – horse emerging from the Yellow River in Mengjin. Covered in scaled armor with flame – like鬃 hair, the horse carried 55 black and white dots representing celestial numbers. Fuxi used this to create the Bagua (Eight Trigrams).

2. Creation of Luoshu
   The Shangshu records that when Dayu controlled floods at the Luo River, a divine tortoise appeared with a nine – palace grid on its shell. Each grid contained numbers reflecting the Five Elements’ interactions. Dayu used this to divide China into nine provinces and establish the Hongfan Jiuchou governance principles.

III. Legendary Stories

1. Dragon – Horse Presents the Map
   Fuxi saw the dragon – horse treading waves, its back covered in white (yang) and black (yin) dots. Odd numbers 1 – 9 occupied central positions while even numbers 2 – 8 formed corners. By aligning these with astronomical observations, Fuxi transformed Hetu into the Bagua, laying the foundation for the I Ching.

2. Divine Tortoise Delivers the Book
   When Dayu’s flood control efforts stalled, the Luo River cleared to reveal a tortoise carrying Luoshu. The magic square’s rows, columns, and diagonals all summed to 15. Dayu applied this pattern to channel floodwaters, using nine – palace divisions to achieve success.

IV. Character Relationships

• Fuxi: Founder of the Bagua philosophy, inspired by the dragon – horse’s celestial map
• Dayu: Flood – control hero who received governance wisdom from the divine tortoise
• Dragon – Horse & Tortoise: Celestial messengers bringing cosmic knowledge to humanity

V. Literary References

• I Ching: Systematically explains Hetu’s philosophical implications
• Shangshu·Hongfan: Documents Luoshu’s role in statecraft
• Han Dynasty apocrypha: Expands on mystical interpretations
• Huangji Jingshi: Links Heluo numerology with historical cycles

VI. Associated Myths

1. Cangjie Creates Writing
   Legend states Cangjie, Yellow Emperor’s scribe, invented Chinese characters by studying Hetu’s dot patterns.

2. He Bo’s Contribution
   The Shuijingzhu records the river god He Bo presenting Hetu to assist Dayu’s flood control.

VII. Folk Customs

• Heluo Sacrifices: Annual ceremonies held in Mengjin on the Dragon Head – Raising Festival (2nd day of 2nd lunar month)
• Nine – Palace Games: Popular mathematical puzzles using Luoshu’s magic square
• Fengshui Application: Traditional architecture often follows Luoshu’s spatial balance

VIII. Historical Contributions

1. Mathematical Foundation: Luoshu’s magic square is the world’s earliest recorded magic square
2. Philosophical System: Hetu’s yin – yang theory influences traditional disciplines like Chinese medicine
3. Governance Legacy: Dayu’s Hongfan principles became the basis for Confucian political ideals

IX. Business Significance

1. Balanced Governance: Luoshu’s nine – palace structure inspires multi – stakeholder business models
2. Innovative Thinking: Hetu’s dynamic changes encourage business model innovation
3. Risk Management: Bagua predictive thinking applied to market trend analysis
4. Cooperative Spirit: Dragon – horse and tortoise symbols often used in business partnerships for auspicious meaning

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