Embarking on a journey following the teachings of the sages

Upon reaching Zhuzhou Deer Plain, feeling tired and hungry, I exited the highway to rest, eat, and incidentally visit the Mausoleum of Emperor Yan.

Legend has it that Emperor Yan, in his later years, died from eating the 'broken-intestine grass' (the miraculous herb used by Yang Guo to cure his love poison) and was buried at the 'tail of the tea country of Changsha,' which is now Yanling, Hunan. The green mound stands as a hill; if Emperor Yan indeed perished here, it is highly likely that it was after his defeat in the conflict with Emperor Huang and his subsequent exile to this place.

Throughout Chinese history, there have been repeated instances of northern nomadic tribes plundering and occupying the lands of the southern agricultural peoples, and then, being assimilated and content not to return north, eventually merging. Both Emperor Yan and Emperor Huang, two ancient emperors, are revered as the ancestors of the Chinese civilization. In honor of agriculture, 'Yan' is always placed before 'Huang,' and the term 'Huaxia' further highlights the centrality of agriculture (in Figure 9, 'Hua' represents the tree of flowers and fruits, 'Xia' is the person holding the plow).

Emperor Yan, within the Chinese civilization system, is also known as Shennong, the Sun God, the Fire God, Zhurong, and is credited with domesticating grains, herbs, and medicines, creating clothing from mulberry and hemp, initiating markets, and inventing the zither for music... and so on, omnipotent, embodying all that is good, a product of the combination of hero worship, ancestor worship, and sun worship.

In present-day China, his traces can be found everywhere: Zhurong, the main deity of Nanyue, the sacrificial site 'Wumen,' the ritual utensils 'nine large gui' evolved into the festive banquet dishes 'nine sons butterfly' of the Pearl River Delta, Beijing's Chinese gourmet food street Gui Street...

With sparse traffic, the journey is most fortunate and enjoyable.

I secretly believe that Emperors Yan and Huang should be the epitome of the outstanding leaders of many tribes. The nomadic lineage of Emperor Huang endowed the Chinese people with blood and resilience, ensuring the lower limit of the family and country; while the agricultural lineage of Emperor Yan was harmonious and inclusive, raising the upper limit of the family and country.

Post by STANLEY ROWE | Jun 15, 2024