Legend of Hongmeng

Kuafu Chases the Sun is a myth from ancient China, found in The Classic of Mountains and Seas: Beyond the Northern Seas.

According to legend, during the reign of the Yellow Emperor, one of the leaders of the Kuafu tribe wanted to pluck the sun from the sky and place it in people’s hearts. So he set off in pursuit of it. When he grew thirsty, he drank the Yellow and Wei Rivers dry, then headed north to a great lake, or perhaps the sea, for more water. He died of thirst on the way to the great marsh. His walking stick became a peach grove, and his body became Mount Kuafu.

This myth reflects the ancient Chinese people’s desire to understand and conquer nature. Kuafu’s feat may seem beyond his abilities, but his heroic spirit and his tenacity in striving for his ideals have inspired generations ever since.