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East Asian Mythology: China and Japan

The Chinese War in Heaven, Creation, and Flood

Is there a Chinese flood myth?

There are several Chinese flood myths. One concerns the water god Gonggong, who, in a rage at being unable to unseat the supreme being, decided to inundate the world by damming all the rivers. Providentially, the resulting flood was overcome by the hero Yu, who created flood channels to divert the waters. Some say it was the goddess Nuwa, who stopped the waters with reed ashes. In any case, Gonggong was killed by the supreme being for his evil acts. A popular myth tells how humans were re-created after the flood by a brother and his sister, the only remaining humans, who married and began the process of repopulation.



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