Baqu Folk Literature and Folk Custom Research

Author: Chen Zhengping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-06-26
Features: The rivers of the Bazhuyu region are natural waterways formed by nature. The water flows along the gorges, avoids the hills, and moves where it should go, stopping where it cannot. Eventually, they flow into the Yangtze River and merge into the sea. These rivers, obstructed by mountains and rocks, twist and turn, and their flow varies with the terrain's elevation and the width of the riverbed. There are rapids, gorges, waterfalls, and deep pools. The river channels are like the veins of a person, nourishing the Bazhuyu land; they are like a mother's milk, raising generations of Bazhuyu people. As a result, the Bazhuyu region is rich in river legends that explain its formation. In Zhongting Township, Wanyuan City, there is a legend about the Ren River. The Ren River is a tributary of the Han River, originating from Bai Shui Dong in Chengkou County, flowing through the Dazhu River District of Wanyuan City, and spanning over 400 kilometers in length. The legend goes that the river was originally a small stream, sufficient only for the drinking needs of a few nearby families. Later, a rural child named Lü Zuo went to chop wood and accidentally ate a night-bright pearl. Thirsty and unable to quench his thirst by drinking the water in his home's jar, he ran to Bai Shui Dong for water. Suddenly, a loud noise erupted, and a massive stream gushed from the rock crevice, rushing towards his head. Gradually, he transformed into a dragon and fled. However, no matter where he ran, the massive stream followed. Seeing her son Lü Zuo transform into a dragon and be surrounded by floodwaters, his mother cried out in sorrow. Lü Zuo, afraid to stop and fearing the flood would drown his mother and fellow villagers, ran towards the big river, looking back at his mother and hometown twenty-four times, forming twenty-four deep pools in the process. This is the origin of the legend that the Ren River has "twenty-four pools where the mother gazes" that is stilled today. This legend is quite similar to the one about the "twenty-four pools where the mother gazes" in Guan County, as such legends have given natural river shoals (pools) the name "pools where the mother gazes," imbuing natural objects with a divine aura and a melancholic tone. In Sanhui Town, Quchi County, there is a legend about the confluence of three rivers. In ancient times, Sanhui Town had no rivers. One year, a severe drought struck, causing widespread suffering and moving the Dragon King of the East Sea. To save the people, the Dragon King ordered his prince to drink the entire East Sea and head west. The prince arrived in the east of Bashan but crashed into a high mountain, causing a massive explosion, a mountain collapse, and the mountain range to split. The prince spat out the water in his belly, which became the Zhou River. The Zhou River flowed to the current Sanhui Plaza, then split into the Ba River and the Quchi River, flowing northwest and southwest, respectively. With the irrigation of these three rivers, crops and trees revived, and the people found hope for survival. Later, the prince, having acted without reporting to the heavens, was punished by the Jade Emperor and sealed by a white pagoda on the banks of the Quchi River. It is said that the Quchi River flows tirelessly towards the East Sea day and night to bring news of the prince's misfortune to the Dragon King of the East Sea. Such legends, with their magical elements, have been passed down through the ages, reflecting people's reliance on benevolent deities with extraordinary abilities (the Dragon King and the prince) and their praise for good deeds.
III. Timeless Bonds: Legends of Stones and Caves
No ethnic group has a deeper emotional connection to stone and a greater appreciation for it than the Chinese nation. The earliest use of stone by humans was to address basic needs, leading to tools and weapons like stone knives, axes, and hammers. In mythology, Nuwa even refined five-colored stones to repair the sky. Stone plays a special role in the spiritual realm of humans. The earliest stone artifacts were totems.