Chinese Folklore: The Origin of the Long and the Feng

Preface: To the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation, the two, the Long  and the Feng, are known to no one and are the unique symbols of the Chinese people. Some idioms circulating in the folklore can reflect that Chinese civilization is closely related to the Long and Feng. So, how did theLong and Feng come about?

相Xiāng传chuán ， 轩xuān辕yuán黄huáng帝dì与yǔ蚩chī尤yóu进jìn行xíng了le七qī十shí二èr场cháng战zhàn争zhēng 。
In legend, Emperor Huang Di fought seventy-two battles with Chi You.

终Zhōng于yú在zài涿zhuō鹿lù打dǎ败bài了le蚩chī尤yóu ， 平píng定dìng了le天tiān下xià 。
Finally, he defeated Chi You in Zhuolu and unified the world.

统Tǒng一yī各gè个gè部bù落luò后hòu ， 黄huáng帝dì打dǎ算suàn制zhì定dìng一yī个gè统tǒng一yī的de图tú腾téng 。
After unifying the tribes, Emperor Huang Di planned to create a unified totem.

图Tú腾téng的de意yì义yì类lèi似sì于yú现xiàn在zài的de国guó旗qí ， 是shì一yī个gè国guó家jiā的de标biāo志zhì 。
The totem was like a national flag, representing the country.

黄Huáng帝dì的de手shǒu下xià亲qīn信xìn不bù建jiàn议yì制zhì定dìng新xīn的de图tú腾téng 。
His trusted followers advised against creating a new totem.

他Tā们men觉jué得de黄huáng帝dì的de功gōng绩jì无wú人rén能néng比bǐ ， 沿yán用yòng黄huáng帝dì部bù落luò的de图tú腾téng即jí可kě 。
They felt that Emperor Huang Di’s achievements were unparalleled, so they should just use his tribe’s totem.

黄Huáng帝dì说shuō ：“ 这zhè怎zěn么me行xíng呢ne ？ 我Wǒ不bù能néng辜gū负fù大dà家jiā的de期qī望wàng 。”
Emperor Huang Di said, “How can we do that? I cannot disappoint everyone’s expectations.”

黄Huáng帝dì想xiǎng起qǐ蚩chī尤yóu的de行xíng为wéi ， 决jué定dìng不bù能néng重chóng蹈dǎo覆fù辙zhé 。
He recalled Chi You’s actions and decided not to repeat the mistakes.

他Tā吩fēn咐fù仓cāng颉jié通tōng知zhī各gè部bù落luò ， 把bǎ原yuán来lái的de图tú腾téng献xiàn出chū来lái ， 共gòng同tóng商shāng议yì新xīn图tú腾téng 。
He instructed Cangjie to notify the tribes to bring their original totems and discuss a new one together.

各Gè部bù落luò送sòng来lái的de图tú腾téng出chū乎hū意yì料liào地de多duō 。
Surprisingly, many totems were sent by the tribes.

有Yǒu蛇shé 、 鹰yīng 、 马mǎ 、 鱼yú 、 熊xióng等děng各gè种zhǒng动dòng物wù形xíng象xiàng 。
They included images of snakes, eagles, horses, fish, bears, and other animals.

代Dài表biǎo们men非fēi常cháng信xìn任rèn黄huáng帝dì ， 把bǎ制zhì定dìng图tú腾téng的de大dà权quán交jiāo给gěi他tā 。
The representatives trusted Emperor Huang Di very much and gave him the power to decide the totem.

黄Huáng帝dì拿ná不bù定dìng主zhǔ意yì ， 征zhēng求qiú谋móu臣chén们men的de意yì见jiàn 。
Emperor Huang Di couldn’t decide and asked his advisors for their opinions.

大Dà鸿hóng说shuō ：“ 随suí便biàn用yòng一yī个gè不bù就jiù好hǎo了le ？”
Da Hong said, “Why not just use any one of them?”

黄Huáng帝dì说shuō ：“ 图tú腾téng的de制zhì定dìng不bù能néng草cǎo率shuài ， 要yào考kǎo虑lǜ各gè个gè部bù落luò的de感gǎn受shòu 。”
Emperor Huang Di said, “The totem’s creation cannot be hasty. We must consider the feelings of all tribes.”

黄Huáng帝dì看kàn到dào电diàn光guāng闪shǎn过guò ， 得dé到dào启qǐ发fā 。
Emperor Huang Di was inspired by a flash of lightning.

他Tā决jué定dìng综zōng合hé各gè部bù落luò图tú腾téng的de特tè征zhēng制zhì定dìng新xīn图tú腾téng 。
He decided to combine features from each tribe’s totem to create a new one.

仓Cāng颉jié提tí议yì新xīn图tú腾téng叫jiào “ 龙lóng ”。
Cang Jie suggested naming the new totem “Long.”

黄Huáng帝dì同tóng意yì ， 龙lóng成chéng为wéi中zhōng华huá民mín族zú的de象xiàng征zhēng 。
Emperor Huang Di agreed, and the Long became a symbol of the Chinese people.

龙Lóng的de图tú腾téng制zhì定dìng后hòu ， 还hái有yǒu些xiē部bù落luò的de图tú腾téng没méi用yòng上shàng 。
After creating the Long totem, some tribe totems were still unused.

黄Huáng帝dì的de正zhèng妃fēi螺luó祖zǔ想xiǎng帮bāng忙máng 。
Lei Zu, Emperor Huang Di’s wife, wanted to help.

她Tā用yòng剩shèng下xià的de图tú腾téng组zǔ成chéng了le一yī只zhī华huá丽lì的de大dà鸟niǎo 。
She combined the unused totems into a magnificent bird.

螺Luó祖zǔ的de另lìng外wài三sān位wèi妃fēi子zi觉jué得de一yī只zhī鸟niǎo太tài寂jì寞mò ， 又yòu组zǔ成chéng另lìng一yī只zhī鸟niǎo配pèi成chéng一yī对duì 。
Lei Zu’s other three concubines felt that one bird was too lonely, so they made another to pair with it.

她Tā们men请qǐng风fēng后hòu和hé仓cāng颉jié给gěi这zhè两liǎng只zhī鸟niǎo取qǔ名míng 。
They asked Feng Hou and Cang Jie to name the two birds.

风Fēng后hòu称chēng赞zàn这zhè是shì独dú一yī无wú二èr的de吉jí祥xiáng物wù 。
Fenghou praised them as unique mascots.

仓Cāng颉jié提tí议yì分fēn别bié叫jiào “ 凤fèng ” 和hé “ 凰huáng ”。
Cangjie suggested naming them “Feng” and “Huang.”

黄Huáng帝dì同tóng意yì用yòng “ 龙lóng凤fèng ” 作zuò为wéi新xīn图tú腾téng 。
Emperor Huang Di agreed to use “Long and Feng” as the new totem.

这Zhè就jiù是shì龙lóng凤fèng图tú腾téng的de由yóu来lái 。
This is the origin of the Long and Feng totems.

几Jǐ千qiān年nián来lái ， 龙lóng凤fèng一yī直zhí是shì中zhōng华huá民mín族zú的de伟wěi大dà象xiàng征zhēng 。
For thousands of years, the Long and Feng have been great symbols of the Chinese people.

现Xiàn在zài ， 中zhōng国guó人rén还hái自zì豪háo地de称chēng自zì己jǐ为wéi “ 龙lóng的de传chuán人rén ”。
Today, Chinese people still proudly call themselves “descendants of the Long.”

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!