Posts Tagged goddess peak
The Legend of Goddess Peak
Posted by act2009 in Yangtze Folk Legends on July 6th, 2009
The Legend of Goddess Peak is so popular in Wushan Mountain of Yangtze River. Once upon the time, Goddess Yao Ji (瑶姬) was the twenty-third daughter of Holy Mother of Western Heaven. She had been living in Yaochi Palace. She learnt theurgy from San Yuan Fairy and became a teacher to young fairy boys and girls. She was then called Madam Yun Hua. However, Yao Ji was actually did not like the lonely life at the fairy palace because she was very active in her nature. One day, she left her palace with her maidservants to tour around the East China Sea. When she saw the gusty winds and pounding waves, which had given people devastating natural disasters, she left the sea and went westwards. She was so happy to see the life of the people on earth, which was unknown to her. By her surprise, she saw twelve fierce dragons in the heaven above Wushan. They were playing winds and waves, which harmed people so much. Yao Ji was so angry that she decided to get rid of these devils. She pressed on the cloud and used one of her fingers to point, then the sky thundered and the earth was shaking. Until calm, the twelve fierce dragons were dead and their bodies had become twelve big mountains, which blocked the Wu Gorge of Yangtze River. The river water was flowing west to Sichuan area, where became an ocean of fresh water.
Xia Yu (夏禹, or 大禹, Da Yu) was a legendary hero of flood elimination in ancient China. He came to flood-battered Sichuan from Yellow River in northern China. However, it was very difficult to drive the floodwater out in such an area with high mountains and fierce flowing river by the traditional method of moving mountains. When Xia Yu was feeling very frustrated, Goddess Yao Ji was moved by his endeavoring spirit, she asked six servants to practice theurgy, helping Xia Yu to dredge the waterway of Yangtze River’s Three Gorges. This made the water could flow east to the East China Sea smoothly.
Xia Yu knew that Goddess Yao Ji helped him, so he climbed up to the top of Wushan Mountain to acknowledge her. When he came to the top, he just saw a beautiful stone column stood. However, not long later, the column changed to a wisp of blue smoke, which went slowly up into the heaven and became grey clouds. The sky rained. Dragons, phoenixes and cranes were flying amongst the hills and valleys at the scene. Xia Yu was wondering why such an amazing scene seen. Suddenly, the beautiful Goddess Yao Ji appeared in front of him and said, “You have great merits in eliminating the flood, but you also have to know the changing principles of things in heaven and on the earth.” She gave him a book about flood elimination.
Although the great flood was over, Goddess Yao Ji was still standing on the top of Wushan Mountain. She would still guide to ships and boats, keep fierce animals away, give rains to farmlands and provide medicine to heal illnesses. Year after year, she has already forgotten the Western Heaven, even herself. She became the Goddess Peak, which is loved by all. Her servants also became peaks, like barriers or guards, defending her forever.
Three Gorges Tour – Goddess Peak
Posted by act2009 in Three Gorges on June 18th, 2009

Goddess Peak, in Three Gorges, Yangtze River
Goddess Peak (神女峰) is located in the north of Yangtze River, 15 kilometers from east of Wushan County (巫山县). Goddess Peak is actually a giant stone, standing in clouds and fog, so seen from water it seems like a fairy goddess. It has the typical features of ancient beauties in China, hence many poets or essayers wrote a lot of articles to speak highly of her charm and prettiness.
As for the anecdotes or fairy story of Goddess Peak, there are diversified. One is the story, created by Song Yu in his famous article – Ode to Goddess, the pretty goddess had a date with Chuxiangwang (the emperor of ancient Chu State), the other one is that Goddess Yao Ji (瑶姬) intentionally got down from the heaven to the earthly world in order to help Da Yu (大禹) with flood control.
Yao Ji was a fairy princess living in the heaven, but she was very tired of heavenly life, so she traveled the earthly world with her sisters. During their trip, they found 12 evil dragons doing harm by casting devilish spells to the earthly people. So she helped Da Yu to fight the flood, besides, she also managed to present Da Yu a book written about flood control, but she was caught by the sacred soldiers from the heaven before she told how to use this book. Later, she returned to the earthly world with the deadline set by queen. She helped Da Yu succeeded in dredging the rivers between the mountains and gorges. She also fell in love with the three gorges and forgot the deadline. Therefore, she stayed in the earthly world to lead the boats in trouble and did good things to the local, as time went she became a peak forever. Nowadays, travelers visiting Yangtze River’s Three Gorges can always see her prettiness on the peak.

The magnificent scene of Goddess Peak, looking from afar
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