Because Shanxi has had too rough a ride of late

Look what I found at Baidu Baike:

“女娲补天�的传说就�生在山西。��民�的始祖黄�和炎�都曾在山西活动。我国上�时代的三个�王尧�舜�禹�在山西�部建都,为“尧都平阳(今临汾市)��“舜都蒲�(今永济市)��“禹都安邑(今�县)�。

The legend of “Nüwa Mending the Sky” happened in Shanxi. The earliest ancestors of the Chinese peoples the Yellow Emperor/Huang Di and Yan Di were both active in Shanxi. The three emperors of China’s ancient times, Yao, Shun and Yu all built their capitals in the south of Shanxi, namely “Yao’s capital Pingyang” (modern Linfen City), “Shun’s capital Puban” (modern Yongji City) and “Yu’s capital Anyi” (modern  Xia County).

Right. Now I don’t know how Nüwa got into this (and isn’t she more myth than legend?), and I have my doubts about just how much the real, historical Huang Di, Yan Di, Yao, Shun and Yu resembled the legendary versions.  But it is interesting to see that these five ancient, legendary kings and emperors were not only active in the area, but in the case of three, including Yu, the founder of the Xia Dynasty, built capitals in Shanxi. Beat that, Henan.

About the Author

wangbo

A Kiwi teaching English to oil workers in Beijing, studying Chinese in my spare time, married to a beautiful Beijing lass, consuming vast quantities of green tea (usually Xihu Longjing/西湖龙井, if that means anything to you), eating good food (except for when I cook), missing good Kiwi ale, breathing smog, generally living as best I can outside Godzone and having a good time of it.

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