Chinese Mythology: The Legend of HeTu Luo Shu

Preface:He Tu and Luo Shu, consists of black and white dots, two mysterious patterns handed down from ancient China, contain profound cosmic astrological theory, known as the “magic formula of the universe”, is the source of Chinese culture, yin and yang, five elements of the arts and mathematics. For thousands of years, people have always been “He Tu”, “Luo Shu” and Fuxi, gossip and “Zhou Yi” together. Most ancient Chinese scholars believe that Fu Xi was inspired by He Tu and the creation of gossip, “Zhou Yi” and originated from gossip.

传Chuán说shuō在zài上shàng古gǔ时shí代dài ， 伏fú羲xī氏shì统tǒng治zhì的de时shí候hòu ， 黄huáng河hé里lǐ跳tiào出chū了le一yī匹pǐ神shén奇qí的de龙lóng马mǎ 。

In ancient times, during the reign of Emperor Fu Xi, a magical Long-horse leaped out of the Yellow River.

这Zhè匹pǐ龙lóng马mǎ的de身shēn上shàng ， 刻kè着zhe一yī组zǔ奇qí怪guài的de数shù字zì ：“ 一yī六liù居jū下xià ， 二èr七qī居jū上shàng ， 三sān八bā居jū左zuǒ ， 四sì九jiǔ居jū右yòu ”。

On the body of this Long-horse were inscribed a set of strange numbers: “One and six below, two and seven above, three and eight to the left, four and nine to the right.”

这Zhè组zǔ数shù字zì被bèi称chēng为wéi “ 河hé图tú ”， 龙lóng马mǎ把bǎ它tā献xiàn给gěi了le伏fú羲xī氏shì 。

These numbers were known as the “He Tu” , and the Long-horse presented it to Emperor Fu Xi.

伏Fú羲xī氏shì根gēn据jù这zhè组zǔ数shù字zì ， 创chuàng造zào出chū了le八bā卦guà图tú 。

Based on these numbers, Emperor Fu Xi created the Eight Trigrams.

现Xiàn在zài ， 河hé南nán洛luò阳yáng的de孟mèng津jīn县xiàn ， 还hái有yǒu一yī座zuò始shǐ建jiàn于yú晋jìn怀huái帝dì四sì年nián的de龙lóng马mǎ负fù图tú寺sì ， 纪jì念niàn这zhè件jiàn事shì 。

Today, in Mengjin County, Luoyang, Henan, there stands a temple called Longma Futu Temple, built in the fourth year of the reign of Emperor Huai of the Jin Dynasty, to commemorate this event.

又Yòu传chuán说shuō ， 在zài远yuǎn古gǔ时shí期qī ， 洪hóng水shuǐ年nián年nián泛fàn滥làn ， 庄zhuāng稼jià都dōu无wú法fǎ生shēng长zhǎng 。

Another legend says that in ancient times, floods occurred every year, making it impossible for crops to grow.

天Tiān神shén鲧gǔn花huā了le九jiǔ年nián时shí间jiān治zhì理lǐ洪hóng水shuǐ ， 他tā死sǐ后hòu ， 尸shī体tǐ三sān年nián都dōu没méi有yǒu腐fǔ烂làn ， 并bìng孕yùn育yù出chū了le一yī个gè新xīn的de生shēng命mìng —— 禹yǔ 。

The god Gun spent nine years trying to control the floods. After his death, his body remained undecayed for three years and gave birth to a new life—Yu.

天Tiān帝dì命mìng令lìng禹yǔ继jì续xù治zhì理lǐ洪hóng水shuǐ 。

The Heavenly Emperor ordered Yu to continue the flood control efforts.

禹Yǔ亲qīn自zì考kǎo察chá了le长cháng江jiāng和hé黄huáng河hé ， 采cǎi取qǔ了le以yǐ疏shū导dǎo为wéi主zhǔ 、 堵dǔ截jié为wéi辅fǔ的de策cè略lüè ， 带dài领lǐng人rén们men开kāi凿záo河hé道dào ， 把bǎ洪hóng水shuǐ引yǐn入rù大dà海hǎi 。

Yu personally inspected the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, adopted a strategy of mainly dredging and supplementarily blocking, and led people in digging canals to divert the floods into the sea.

在Zài巫wū山shān治zhì水shuǐ时shí ， 禹yǔ遇yù到dào了le狂kuáng风fēng洪hóng水shuǐ ， 幸xìng好hǎo有yǒu神shén女nǚ瑶yáo姬jī出chū手shǒu相xiāng助zhù 。

While controlling the floods in Wushan, Yu encountered fierce winds and floods, but fortunately, the goddess Yaoji came to his assistance.

治Zhì理lǐ黄huáng河hé时shí ， 黄huáng河hé之zhī神shén河hé伯bó现xiàn身shēn ， 献xiàn出chū了le “ 河hé图tú ”， 大dà大dà加jiā快kuài了le治zhì水shuǐ进jìn度dù 。

When controlling the Yellow River, the god Hebo appeared and presented the “He Tu” (River Diagram), greatly accelerating the flood control progress.

还Hái有yǒu一yī个gè传chuán说shuō ， 大dà禹yǔ治zhì水shuǐ时shí ， 有yǒu黄huáng龙lóng在zài洛luò河hé里lǐ摇yáo尾wěi巴bā引yǐn路lù ， 疏shū通tōng水shuǐ道dào 。

Another legend says that when Yu was controlling the floods, a yellow Long swam in the Luo River, wagging its tail to guide the way and dredge the waterways.

一Yī只zhī大dà龟guī背bēi着zhe青qīng泥ní跟gēn在zài后hòu头tou ， 遇yù到dào洼wā地dì就jiù放fàng下xià青qīng泥ní填tián平píng ， 还hái帮bāng人rén们men加jiā高gāo了le居jū住zhù地dì 。

A large turtle carrying green mud followed behind, placing the mud in depressions to fill them up and also helped raise the living areas of people.

大Dà龟guī背bèi上shàng还hái有yǒu一yī组zǔ数shù字zì ：“ 戴dài九jiǔ履lǚ一yī ， 左zuǒ三sān右yòu七qī ， 二èr四sì为wéi肩jiān ， 六liù八bā为wéi足zú ， 五wǔ居jū中zhōng央yāng ”， 这zhè就jiù是shì “ 洛luò书shū ”。

On the back of the turtle were another set of numbers: “Nine above, one below, three on the left, seven on the right, two and four as shoulders, six and eight as feet, five in the center.” This was the “Luo Shu” (Turtle Diagram).

大Dà禹yǔ从cóng中zhōng领lǐng悟wù到dào了le治zhì理lǐ天tiān下xià的de道dào理lǐ ， 把bǎ天tiān下xià划huà分fēn为wéi九jiǔ州zhōu 。

Yu understood the principles of governing the world from it and divided the world into nine states.

现Xiàn在zài ， 河hé南nán洛luò阳yáng的de洛luò宁níng县xiàn ， 据jù说shuō是shì “ 洛luò书shū ” 出chū现xiàn的de地dì方fāng 。

Today, Luoning County, Luoyang, Henan, is said to be the place where the “Luo Shu” appeared.

通过阅读中国神话、民间故事、历史典故、人物传记学汉语，简单易学，中英对照，适合初学者！
Learning Chinese through reading Chinese mythology, folk stories, historical allusions, and biographies is easy to learn and bilingual, suitable for beginners!