Chinese Mythology: Zhu Rong, God of Fire

Preface: 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.

远Yuǎn古gǔ时shí代dài ， 世shì界jiè很hěn荒huāng凉liáng ， 只zhǐ有yǒu森sēn林lín ， 人rén们men吃chī生shēng肉ròu喝hē动dòng物wù的de血xuè 。
In ancient times, the world was very desolate, with only forests, and people ate raw meat and drank animal blood.

昆Kūn仑lún山shān上shàng有yǒu个gè光guāng明míng宫gōng ， 火huǒ神shén祝zhù融róng住zhù在zài那nà里lǐ 。 祝Zhù融róng很hěn善shàn良liáng ， 看kàn到dào人rén们men吃chī生shēng肉ròu ， 就jiù教jiāo他tā们men用yòng火huǒ 。
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.

人Rén们men用yòng火huǒ烤kǎo熟shú食shí物wù ， 不bù仅jǐn好hǎo吃chī ， 还hái不bù生shēng病bìng ， 所suǒ以yǐ很hěn崇chóng拜bài祝zhù融róng 。
People cooked food with fire, which was not only delicious but also kept them from getting sick, so they admired Zhu Rong very much.

天Tiān上shàng有yǒu个gè水shuǐ神shén共gòng工gōng ， 人rén脸liǎn蛇shé身shēn红hóng发fà ， 住zhù在zài东dōng海hǎi ， 性xìng格gé残cán暴bào 。
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.

共Gòng工gōng看kàn到dào人rén们men敬jìng仰yǎng祝zhù融róng ， 非fēi常cháng生shēng气qì 。 他Tā问wèn ：“ 为wèi什shén么me只zhī敬jìng火huǒ神shén不bù敬jìng我wǒ呢ne ？”
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?”

共Gòng工gōng非fēi常cháng嫉jí妒dù祝zhù融róng ， 最zuì后hòu和hé他tā打dǎ了le起qǐ来lái 。
Gong Gong was very jealous of Zhu Rong and finally fought with him.

共Gòng工gōng驾jià着zhe水shuǐ龙lóng ， 带dài着zhe水shuǐ族zú ， 去qù攻gōng击jī祝zhù融róng的de光guāng明míng宫gōng ， 熄xī灭miè了le神shén火huǒ 。
Gong Gong rode a water dragon and led the aquatic creatures to attack Zhu Rong’s Palace of Light, extinguishing the divine fire.

祝Zhù融róng很hěn生shēng气qì ， 驾jià着zháo火huǒ龙lóng迎yíng战zhàn ， 火huǒ龙lóng全quán身shēn发fā光guāng ， 照zhào亮liàng了le大dà地dì 。
Zhu Rong was very angry and rode a fire dragon to fight back. The fire dragon glowed all over, illuminating the earth.

共Gòng工gōng没méi扑pū灭miè神shén火huǒ ， 就jiù引yǐn来lái大dà水shuǐ ， 往wǎng祝zhù融róng和hé火huǒ龙lóng身shēn上shàng泼pō 。 但Dàn水shuǐ往wǎng低dī处chù流liú ， 神shén火huǒ又yòu烧shāo了le起qǐ来lái 。
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.

祝Zhù融róng骑qí着zháo火huǒ龙lóng扑pū向xiàng共gòng工gōng ， 长cháng长cháng的de火huǒ舌shé把bǎ共gòng工gōng烧shāo伤shāng了le 。 祝Zhù融róng赢yíng了le ， 共gòng工gōng输shū了le 。
Zhu Rong rode the fire dragon towards Gong Gong, and the long flames burned Gong Gong badly. Zhu Rong won, and Gong Gong lost.

共Gòng工gōng抵dǐ挡dǎng不bù住zhù ， 逃táo向xiàng大dà海hǎi ， 祝zhù融róng追zhuī过guò去qù 。 共Gòng工gōng一yī头tóu撞zhuàng向xiàng不bù周zhōu山shān ， 山shān塌tā了le 。
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.

天Tiān上shàng出chū现xiàn大dà窟kū窿lóng ， 地dì的de东dōng南nán角jiǎo也yě陷xiàn了le下xià去qù 。 天Tiān越yuè升shēng越yuè高gāo ， 再zài也yě没méi有yǒu回huí到dào地dì上shàng 。
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.

天Tiān塌tā地dì陷xiàn后hòu ， 山shān林lín起qǐ火huǒ ， 洪hóng水shuǐ涌yǒng出chū ， 龙lóng蛇shé猛měng兽shòu出chū来lái吃chī人rén 。 人Rén类lèi面miàn临lín大dà灾zāi难nàn 。
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.

后Hòu来lái ， 女nǚ娲wā补bǔ天tiān救jiù了le人rén类lèi 。
Later, Nu Wa repaired the sky and saved humanity.

帝Dì喾kù时shí ， 祝zhù融róng当dāng火huǒ正zhèng官guān ， 照zhào亮liàng天tiān地dì ， 生shēng长zhǎng五wǔ谷gǔ木mù材cái ， 为wèi民mín造zào福fú 。 帝Dì喾kù称chēng他tā为wéi “ 祝zhù融róng ”， 后hòu世shì尊zūn为wéi火huǒ神shén 。
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.

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!