Zhu Rong (祝融), known as Red Emperor (赤帝), is the god of fire and the god of the south in ancient Chinese mythology. According to the “Classic of Mountains and Seas”, Zhu Rong had an animal body and human face, rode on two dragons, and took orders directly from the Emperor of Heaven. According to the Records of the Grand Historian, Zhu Rong was the ancestor of the Chu people. Legend has it that Zhu Rong, the god of fire, fought with Gong Gong, the god of water, and when Gong Gong lost, he slammed his head into Buzhou Mountain, which supported the heavenly dome, and a big hole was made in the sky, and fire poured down from the nine heavens to the mortal world. The benevolent Nu Wa could not bear to see human beings suffer, so she searched for seven-colored stones in the nine states to make stones to mend the sky.
In ancient times, the world was very desolate, with only forests, and people ate raw meat and drank animal blood.
On Kunlun Mountain, there was a Palace of Light where the Fire God Zhu Rong lived. Zhu Rong was very kind and taught people how to use fire when he saw them eating raw meat.
People cooked food with fire, which was not only delicious but also kept them from getting sick, so they admired Zhu Rong very much.
There was a Water God Gong Gong in the sky, with a human face, a snake body, and red hair. He lived in the East Sea and had a cruel personality.
Gong Gong was very angry when he saw people admiring Zhu Rong. He asked, “Why do they only respect the Fire God and not me?”
Gong Gong was very jealous of Zhu Rong and finally fought with him.
Gong Gong rode a water dragon and led the aquatic creatures to attack Zhu Rong’s Palace of Light, extinguishing the divine fire.
Zhu Rong was very angry and rode a fire dragon to fight back. The fire dragon glowed all over, illuminating the earth.
Gong Gong couldn’t put out the divine fire, so he brought in floodwater and poured it on Zhu Rong and the fire dragon. But water flows downhill, and the divine fire burned again.
Zhu Rong rode the fire dragon towards Gong Gong, and the long flames burned Gong Gong badly. Zhu Rong won, and Gong Gong lost.
Gong Gong couldn’t resist and fled to the sea, with Zhu Rong chasing after him. Gong Gong rammed into the Pillar Supporting Heaven, and the mountain collapsed.
A big hole appeared in the sky, and the southeast corner of the earth sank. The sky rose higher and higher and never returned to the earth again.
After the sky collapsed and the earth sank, the mountains caught fire, floods erupted, and dragons, snakes, and fierce beasts came out to devour people. Humanity faced a great catastrophe.
Later, Nu Wa （女娲） repaired the sky and saved humanity.
During the reign of Di Ku Gao Xin, Zhu Rong served as the official in charge of fire, illuminating the heaven and earth, growing grain and timber, and benefiting the people. Di Ku called him “Zhu Rong,” and later generations respected him as the Fire God.
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