Stories and legends of the Yellow River

1.5 million years ago, the Xihou Hominin appeared in Ruicheng County on the Yellow River in Shanxi Province. Later, the Lantian Homo from 1 million years ago and the Dali Homo from 300,000 years ago appeared in the Yellow River. They fished and hunted on the shore, lived and multiplied, and continued to work quietly for the birth of the Yellow River civilization.

The early Homo sapiens in Ding Village, Xiangfen, Shanxi 70,000 years ago, and the late Homo sapiens in Dagouwan, Wushen Banner, Inner Mongolia 30,000 years ago, played the prelude to the ancient Yellow River civilization.

Microlithic cultural sites dating from 10,000 to 7,000 years ago, Neolithic cultural sites from 7,000 to 3,700 years ago, bronze cultural sites from 3,700 to 2,700 years ago, and iron cultural sites that appeared in 770 B.C. All over the Yellow River Basin. Since the Mesolithic Age, the Yellow River Basin has become the development center of my country's ancient culture. Suiren, Fuxi, and Shennong invented artificial fire technology, primitive animal husbandry, and primitive agriculture. They kicked off the development of the Yellow River civilization.

Qin Emperor, Han Wu, Tang Zong and Song Zu, Genghis Khan, the genius of the generation, these emperors led the Chinese nation and pushed the ancient Yellow River civilization to a glorious peak that attracted the attention of the world. Gunpowder, compass, papermaking, printing, Tang poetry, Song lyrics, and Yuan opera are the shining treasures of the Yellow River civilization. Inventions and scientific achievements not only promoted the development of China, but also spread to all parts of the world, promoting the progress of all mankind.

1. The second longest river in my country

The Yellow River, the second longest river in my country, is a 5,464-kilometer-long river that meanders in northern China. Viewed from a high altitude, it looks like a huge "ji", and it is also the unique totem of our nation.

2. Characteristics of the Yellow River

It is not just a big river. The Yellow River, the yellow earth, the emperor, the yellow skin and the legendary Chinese dragon, all these yellow symbols sublimate this turbid current flowing through the heart of China into a holy river. "Han Shu·Gou Xiu Zhi" regards the Yellow River as the first of hundreds of rivers: "There are hundreds of river sources in China, none of which are located in the four rivers, but the river is the ancestor."

3. The theory of loess custom< /p>

In ancient geological times, in the Gobi desert in inland Asia, sand and gravel everywhere were disintegrated and crushed in the harsh environment of sudden cold and heat until they formed powder. The prevailing northwest air current in the inland blows them to the east over the years. The coarse sand falls on the Mongolian Plateau, and the finest powder falls with the wind to today's six provinces of Gansu, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Qinghai, Ningxia, and Henan. After millions of years of transportation and accumulation, a loess plateau stretching from the Great Wall in the north to the Qinling Mountains in the south, to the Riyue Mountain in the west and to the Taihang Mountain in the east was finally formed.

4. Deep and vast loess layer

This is an unparalleled loess, covering an area of ??410,000 square kilometers, and the loess coverage thickness is generally more than 100 meters. In places such as Longdong, Shaanxi, and western Shanxi, the loess is 100 to 200 meters deep, and in Lanzhou, it is more than 300 meters thick.

The Garden of Eden five or six thousand years ago

Botanists have found that although the rainfall on the Loess Plateau is not as abundant as in the south, the leaching loss of nutrients is also less, making it very suitable for Poplar, birch, oak, pitch pine, spruce, wild jujube, yellow vitex, etc. grow. The lush vegetation at that time maintained a warm and rainy Garden of Eden. Today, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia and other provinces are covered with large areas of virgin forest. Henan Province, located in the Central Plains, is called "Yu" for short, which shows that it was still a place where elephants roamed in the era when Cangjie coined the Chinese character.

7. The Enlightenment of Ancient Era Civilization

In the ruins of human activities in Xihoudu, Ruicheng, Shanxi more than 1.6 million years ago, people found animal fossils and antlers that had been burned by fire. , in the human ruins of Lantian, Shanxi Province 1 million years ago, people found many carbon powder accumulations.

Since then, people from Lantian, Dali, Dingcun and Hetao have all thrived in the arm bay of the Yellow River. Until 6,000 years ago, matrilineal clan culture represented by Banpo Civilization appeared on the loess land.

Our ancestors spent their golden childhood of Chinese civilization hunting and gathering in such a green field.

8. History describes the achievements of transforming nature

This is indeed the first place to be bathed in the light of civilization, and it is inevitable that it is also the first to be exposed to the fire of civilization. According to ancient legend, Shennong once taught the people how to farm. What is intriguing is that Shennong was Emperor Yan, the God of Fire, and what he taught was actually burning forests for reclamation.

"Mencius" records the "accomplishments" of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors burning mountains and forests: "In the time of Yao... the vegetation was luxuriant, the animals multiplied, the crops were not harvested, and the animals were overpowering the people... Yao was the only one to worry about it, and he raised Shun to treat it." Shun ordered Yi to hold fire, and burned the mountains and rivers, and the animals fled."

In the Book of Songs, we heard the singing of the ancestors when they were cutting down the trees: "Let's cut down the sandalwood and leave it alone. The river is dry, clear and rippling. "The trees are felling and the birds are chirping." 9. The vegetation on the Loess Plateau was severely damaged for the first time. The First Emperor unified the six countries, and a large number of people entered Guanzhong, and the cultivated area increased greatly. . At the same time, he carried out large-scale construction projects, built palaces and mausoleums, and cut down forests in the mountains of Guanzhong. In the thirty-third year of the First Emperor (214 BC), Meng Tian defeated the Xiongnu and obtained a large area of ????land in the Hetao area. Later, he implemented reclamation and border garrison, and repeatedly invaded Ordos. Immigrants to the plateau area, numbering as many as hundreds of thousands at a time, turned the originally endless grasslands into farming areas.

11. Uncovering the bottom of the river

A few days ago, a century-old wonder "uncovering the bottom of the river" appeared in the Da and Xiaoshizui sections of the Hejin section of Shanxi Province on the Xiaobei Mainstream of the Yellow River (Shanxi and Shaanxi sections) , the silt at the bottom of the river is rolled up by the current like a carpet.

The phenomenon of "uncovering the bottom of the river" is a unique sediment movement pattern on the Yellow River. It mainly occurs in the Longmen section of the Xiaobei main stream of the Yellow River and the Weihe River section of its tributaries. It is manifested by high sand-containing flood peaks. When passing through, the river bed suffered violent erosion in a short period of time, rolling up blocks and sheets of sediment on the river bottom like carpets, and then being scattered and carried away by the current. Such strong scouring can wash this section of the river bed several meters to more than ten meters deep within a few hours to dozens of hours. Because of the special conditions for the formation of the "uncovering the bottom of the river" phenomenon, "uncovering the bottom of the river" is known as a century-old wonder of the Yellow River.

It is understood that the last time the Yellow River "uncovered the bottom of the river" was on July 6, 1977. The "unveiling the bottom of the river" started at 8:10 on July 5 and lasted until 8:40. During this period, in the No. 1 groyne section of the Xiaoshizui reconstruction project in the Hejin River section, accompanied by the sound of surging water, there were successive There are two large raised objects about 1 meter high and 7-9 meters long. There are also some smaller raised objects between No. 1 and No. 5 groynes.

In early July, heavy rain fell on the tributaries of the Wubao-Longmen section of the middle reaches of the Yellow River, and the floods carried a large amount of sediment surging down. On the evening of July 4, the peak flow of the Longmen Hydrological Station at the upper end of Hejin reached 4,600 cubic meters per second, and the maximum sand content was more than 700 kilograms per cubic meter, thus providing the conditions for the formation of a local "uncovering the bottom of the river" phenomenon.

Poetry of the Yellow River - Ode to the Yellow River

"Ode to the Yellow River" is a movement in the "Yellow River Cantata". It consists of three parts: the prelude, the main body, and the epilogue. The lyricist is Guang Weiran and the composer is Xian Xinghai.

From the content point of view, the first stanza is a recitation, which is the prelude to the whole poem. The author first calls the readers directly as "friends" and clearly states at the beginning that he wants to "praise the Yellow River" "The theme shows the greatness and strength of the Yellow River.

The second section is the lyrics, which is the main part of the whole poem. It is mainly "Ode to the Yellow River", but there is a build-up stage before "Ode". The word "Wang" is used in the text to command and praise. The great spirit of the Yellow River. The main part is composed of two parts: painting the Yellow River and praising the Yellow River. Painting the Yellow River depicts the majestic momentum of the Yellow River and the heroic spirit of the Yellow River. Praise the Yellow River. Praise the Yellow River for nurturing the Chinese nation and point out the historical contribution of the Yellow River. Praise the Yellow River for protecting the Chinese nation like a natural barrier and point out the geographical advantages of the Yellow River. Praise the Yellow River for its vast basin and benefiting all living beings. The Yellow River is a symbol of our national spirit. Inspiring the Chinese nation. The repeated occurrence of "Ah! Yellow River!" in the lyrics plays a very good role. First, it expresses the heart directly. Second, the "Ode" part is divided into three levels: praising the Yellow River for nurturing the Chinese nation, the Yellow River protecting the Chinese nation, and the Yellow River It will also inspire the Chinese nation.

The last part calls on us to learn from the spirit of the Yellow River. On behalf of the Chinese people, the poet made a vow to learn from it and learn from the great and strong spirit of the Yellow River. This echoes the beginning and end of the poem and is integrated.

The poet in "Ode to the Yellow River" uses symbolic techniques to praise the Yellow River on the surface, but in fact he is praising our nation, inspiring the Chinese people to be as "great and strong" as the Yellow River, and to defend the Yellow River with heroic spirit and strong determination. , defend China. Her melody is passionate, the music is magnificent, the momentum is majestic, the enthusiasm is deep, and it is full of strong impact and shock. It shows the unruly blood of the Yellow River and the heroic spirit of the Chinese nation, and praises the majesty of the Yellow River and its long history.

"Ode to the Yellow River" is an ode to the Yellow River, an ode to the times, and an ode to the Chinese nation. It is an ode to the Chinese nation's endless life, perseverance, and forward momentum.

With the Yellow River as a symbol, it sings the passionate voices of the Chinese people, with a strong flavor of the times and shocking appeal.

The author of Xian Xinghai, *** composed eight movements

1-----Yellow River Boatman's Song

2-----Ode to the Yellow River

3- ----The water of the Yellow River comes from the sky

4-----Songs by the river

5-----The resentment of the Yellow River

6- ----Huang Shui Yao

7-----Defend the Yellow River

8-----Roar! Yellow River

Legends about the Yellow River

1- Legend has it that a long time ago, the ancient Yellow River was a wild horse that was difficult to tame. It ran freely, like a grinning monster, roaring day and night. , gushing endlessly, devouring thousands of hectares of fertile land. With millions of mountains gnawing at them, the Hui Han people on both sides of the Yellow River can only live a life of slash-and-burn farming on the tops of the mountains and at the bottom of the ditches. At that time, Ningxia was no longer a flat plain, but had overlapping green hills and crisscrossing ravines. There was no flat field, and no field could be irrigated with the water of the Yellow River. Legend has it that there are several households of Hui and Han people living on Niushou Mountain. Their elders carry water at the bottom of the mountain and farm on the top of the mountain. The old and the young are busy all the time, but they don't have enough to eat and don't have enough clothes to wear. No one can bear this torture for a long time. One year, an old man named De, who was over seventy years old, opened a melon orchard on the mountain and planted some cucumbers. He got up early every day and went to the Yellow River to water the cucumbers. His shoulders were swollen and the soles of his feet were peeling. He carefully cultivated the cucumbers, and they grew tender and sweet. Old man De was tired that day and fell asleep lying on the garden door. As soon as he fell asleep, he dreamed of a white cloud floating in the sky. Gradually, the white cloud turned into a white-bearded imam, trembling his silver beard, and said to Mr. De: "There are two strong winds today. You have to pay attention." A yellow wind at noon can make cucumbers wither; a black wind can make cucumbers fall off. No matter how strong the wind is, you should not pick the cucumbers when you wake up. The bearded imam saw that the yellow wind from the north was blowing all the way to Niushou Mountain. The old man looked at the cucumbers carefully and found that they were wilted one by one. He felt very sad that a year's hard work had been wasted, but when he thought about it, The white-bearded imam said that he did not move. At noon, a black wind passed by, shaking the mountains, and the leaves fell one after another. When the old man saw that the cucumber was about to fall to the ground, he was so angry that he picked off one. The wilted and small cucumber was thrown into the Yellow River. It was like a god cutting through it with a knife, and the bottom of the river was clearly visible. When the old man swooped down, the river water roared. They got together again. The old man was tired and hungry. He was sitting on the river bank, blinking his eyes, feeling dizzy and unaware of anything. At this time, the old man De heard the white-bearded imam say, "This. Cucumber is the key to conquering the Yellow River. It can stop the Yellow River from flowing, or it can also make the Yellow River listen to others. But now the Yellow River is tormenting the two Iblis, Huang Feng and Black Wind. You cannot be impatient, you must be patient, and you must work harder. Next year, you plant another garden of cucumbers. When the cucumbers are ripe, you pick the largest one and throw it into the Yellow River. At that time, you walked into the cave at the bottom of the river. You could pick out the jewelry, get the grain, and even have a sword that could slay dragons and monsters, and tame the Yellow River. Wherever you pointed, the Yellow River water would flow. "The next year, the industrious old man from Germany planted another garden of cucumbers. He was not afraid of the long journey and did not hesitate to sweat. He carried water from the Yellow River and watered the melons. The hard work paid off, and finally, a three-foot-long cucumber was grown in the garden. The cucumber looked like a key. The old man happily slept in the melon garden day and night until the melon was ripe. On this day, the weather was so clear that there was no cloud at all. The old man picked the three-foot-long cucumber and read. He picked up a "Tai Simi" and threw it into the Yellow River. At this time, he heard a roar from the Yellow River, and a long crack opened. He could clearly see the stones on the bottom of the river. When he went down to the bottom of the river, he saw that he was leaning on the river bank. There was a cave with all kinds of pearls and agates. The old man took some and just walked out when he heard a roaring storm. Suddenly, the waves on the river were rolling, one wave higher than the other. The old man picked up his sword and pointed at the black whirlwind. After a while, the black wind and the yellow wind blew out of the sky. At this time, the cracks in the Yellow River gradually closed.

The old man De remembered the white-bearded imam's instructions that this sword could conquer the Yellow River. He became enlightened and thought: I will let the Yellow River fill the trenches and silt the mountain ridges. The old man held two swords and slashed down the Yellow River. The water of the Yellow River stopped flowing immediately, as if there was a Great Wall in front of it, but it was getting higher and higher. It looked really scary from a distance. Three days later, as far as Liupan Mountain in the south and Helan Mountain in the west, there was water everywhere, leaving only a few mountain peaks. Only then did the old man De draw his sword and let the water of the Yellow River flow forward. From then on, the mountains and deep ravines in Ningxia became flat and smooth. The Hui Han people living on both sides of the Yellow River relied on their hard-working hands to dig canals and cultivate fields, and lived a happy life.

2-Myths and legends: When Dayu governed the Yellow River, he had three treasures, one was a river map; the other was a mountain-opening ax; and the third was a water-avoiding sword. Legend has it that the River Map was given to Dayu by He Bo, the god of water in the Yellow River. In ancient times, there was a man named Feng Yi in Tong Township, Huayin. He was restless in farming and wanted to become an immortal. He heard that if a person drinks the juice of daffodils for a hundred days, he can transform into a fairy body. So I looked for daffodils everywhere. Before Dayu regulated the Yellow River, the Yellow River had no fixed channel and flowed everywhere, often causing disasters. The ground is full of streams, ditches and forks, all filled with Yellow River water. Feng Yi ran around looking for daffodils, often crossing, crossing, and crossing the Yellow River, and often dealing with the Yellow River. Ninety-nine days later, he found a daffodil and sucked its juice for a day, and he became an immortal. Feng Yi was very proud and crossed the Yellow River to a small village to find daffodils. The water here was not deep, so Feng Yi waded across the river. When he reached the middle of the river, the water suddenly rose. He panicked, slipped, fell into the Yellow River, and drowned alive. After Feng Yi died, he was full of grievances and resentments. He hated the Yellow River with gnashing of teeth, and went to the Jade Emperor to complain about the Yellow River's condition. The Jade Emperor was also very angry when he heard that no one was controlling the Yellow River, and it was flowing wildly everywhere, endangering the people. Seeing that Feng Yi had sucked the juice of the ninety-nine-day narcissus flower and was about to become an immortal, he asked Feng Yi if he would like to become the Yellow River Water God and regulate the Yellow River. Feng Yi was overjoyed. Full of agreement. This way, he can fulfill his wish to become an immortal, and secondly, he can avenge himself for being drowned. Feng Yi became the water god of the Yellow River and was known as He Bo. He had never had to control floods before, so he suddenly took on the task of regulating the Yellow River. He was helpless and worried. What to do? Since I was not very knowledgeable and had no magical skills, I had no choice but to ask the Jade Emperor for advice. The Jade Emperor told him that in order to manage the Yellow River well, we must first understand the water conditions of the Yellow River and draw a river map. With the water conditions and river map of the Yellow River as a basis, it will be much easier to manage the Yellow River. Hebo followed the Jade Emperor's instructions and wanted to draw a map of the river. He first went to his hometown and wanted to ask the villagers for help. The villagers all hated him for being idle and indolent, and no one paid him any attention. He went to the old man in the village and told him about his ambition to control the Yellow River. Later, when the old man saw that he had become an immortal and wanted to do something good for the people, he agreed to help him. From then on, Hebo and Hou Laohan traveled through mountains and rivers in all weathers to observe the water conditions of the Yellow River. The two of them ran away for several years, which finally made the old man sick from exhaustion. Later, the old man had no choice but to go back, leaving He Bo to continue observing the water conditions along the Yellow River. When we parted, the old man Hou repeatedly told He Bo that he should work hard to the end and not give up halfway. He would start regulating the Yellow River after drawing the map. There were not enough manpower, so he persuaded the villagers to help. Checking water conditions and drawing river maps is a hard job. By the time He Bo finished drawing the river, he was already old and weak. He Bo looked at the river map and clearly drew where the Yellow River is deep and where it is shallow; where it is easy to breach the embankment and where it is easy to burst; where it should be dug and where it should be blocked; where the water can be cut off and where the flood can be drained. I can only lament that I don’t have the strength to regulate the Yellow River according to the plan, which is very sad. He Bo thought that one day there would be a capable person to manage the Yellow River. At that time, granting him the river map would be a sign that he had not worried in vain. From then on, He Bo spent his remaining years peacefully under the Yellow River and never appeared again. Unexpectedly, the Yellow River continued to rise and flooded frequently. The people knew that the Jade Emperor sent He Bo to control the water, but they did not see his face. They all scolded He Bo for not fulfilling his duties and not caring about the lives of the people. Later, the old man looked forward to Hebo every day in his hospital bed, and they didn't see him for several years. He was worried about the management of the Yellow River and wanted to find He Bo. His son's name was Yi, and he was a master of archery. No matter what the old man said, Yi would not let him go to He Bo. Later, the old man refused to listen to his son's dissuasion. As a result, he encountered a burst in the Yellow River and was washed away and drowned. Even his body was not found. Hou Yi hated He Bo very much and said through gritted teeth that he would shoot He Bo to death sooner or later. Later, when Dayu came out to control the floods, Hebo decided to give him the map of the Yellow River. On this day, Hebo heard that Dayu came to the Yellow River with a mountain-opening ax and a water-avoiding sword, so he came out from the bottom of the water with the Hetu to look for Dayu. He Bo and Dayu had never met before, and they did not recognize each other. He Bo walked for a long time and was so tired that he wanted to take a rest when he saw a young man walking on the other side of the river.

This young man was brave and majestic, he must be Dayu, so He Bo shouted and asked: "Hey, who are you?" The young man on the other side was not Dayu, but Hou Yi. He looked up and saw an immortal old man shouting from the other side of the river, and asked, "Who are you?" He Bo said loudly, "I am He Bo. Are you Dayu?" Hou Yi heard this. It was He Bo. He suddenly became angry, sneered and said, "I am Dayu." As he spoke, he opened his bow and nocked an arrow, and without any hesitation, he shot an arrow in He Bo's left eye. He Bo pulled out the arrow and covered his eyes, sweating from the pain. He cursed in his heart: "Damn Dayu, you are so unreasonable!" The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and he went to tear up the water map. At this moment, there was a sudden shout: "He Bo! Don't tear up the picture." He Bo reluctantly looked with his right eye and saw a man wearing a bamboo hat on the other side, stopping Hou Yi. This man was Dayu. He knew that He Bo had drawn a map of the Yellow River and was about to ask He Bo for advice. Hou Yi pushed Dayu away and stretched his bow again. Dayu grabbed him tightly and told He Bo about the difficulties of drawing pictures. Hou Yi regretted his rashness and shot He Bo out of his left eye. Hou Yi waded across the river with Dayu. Hou Yi admitted his fault to He Bo. He Bo knew that Hou Yi was the son of Hou Laohan, so he didn't blame him much. Dayu said to He Bo: "I am Dayu, and I have come to you specifically to ask for advice on how to regulate the Yellow River." He Bo said: "My hard work and methods of regulating the river are all on this map, and I will teach it to you now. " When Dayu showed the map, he saw that the map was densely packed with circles, clearly depicting the water conditions of the Yellow River up and down, left and right. Dayu was very happy. He wanted to thank He Bo. When he raised his head, He Bo jumped into the Yellow River and disappeared. Dayu obtained the map of the water conditions of the Yellow River. He worked day and night and based on the instructions on the map, he finally controlled the Yellow River.