1. Chinese Creation Myth Jacinda Ruzicka Mrs. Martin Advanced Placement English 11 January 2012

2. Chinese Creation Myth ● http://mythicjourneys.org/bigmyth /myths/english/2_chinese_full.htm

3. Chinese Destruction Myth ● A 22-year-long flood, caused by the worker god Gong Gong (Common Worker) who as always was striving to overthrow the divine order, ● A committee of lesser gods chose Gun to control the flood, and with the help of Owl and Tortoise he strives mightily to do just that. However, partly because of the monster Xiang Liu he is unsuccessful and so the flood drives people to mountains and treetops. ● In desperation the supernatural hero Gun dammed up the waters with Growing Soil stolen from heaven. The heavenly ruler Shun discovered the theft and that the application was not fully successful so he killed him. He ordered his son Yu to complete the flood control. To do that Yu is given the soil to control the flood, and dry the land. Then he must kill the nine-human-headed monster Xiang Liu that Gong Gong sent to frustrate the flood control efforts of Yu. When Yu beheads Xiang Liu the blood of the monster further pollutes the soil, and Yu must dig huge pits to store the blood in them, and save the remaining soil.

4. Chinese Destruction Myth ● The soil dug out of the pits is used to create foundations for temples to praise the gods. Yu has worked so hard that half is body is shrivelled up. He loses his hair on his legs and it does not grow back, and his fingernails do not grow. However his prodigious efforts succeeds and the flood is controlled. ● Yu calls a meeting of the heavenly gods and condemns Gong Gong and suggests that he be exiled from heaven and earth to prevent anymore disasters. Heaven agrees and Gong Gong is exiled.

5. Chinese Culture ● Chinese culture is known for its duration and diversity. The written language has always played a central role in China's culture. This language is called Ideographic because it consists of complex symbols. Writing is the way in which culture is preserved and China's word for culture means “to become literate”. Since the invention of writing, knowing how to write has been a requirement to hold any position of power. ● The oldest art forms in China are music and dance. Music played an important role in early China. ● Theatre is the most important popular art in China. In the far past religious dances were performed at festivals to get rid of demons, to remember important historical events, or to prepare for daily activities such as the harvest, hunting, or warfare. China also has an ancient tradition of storytelling that has been preserved. ● Dramas, or operas, consisting of song and dance that deal with historical or contemporary themes have been performed in special theatres since 1200. Such performances involve beautiful costumes and decorated stages. Present day Cantonese and Peking operas contain song and dance, elaborate costumes and displays of martial arts and acrobatics. ● For many years in the 20th century the practice of many arts and crafts was prohibited. Since the early 1980s, all this has changed and there have been many efforts to renew China's remarkable cultural traditions. In this way, China's culture remains highly complex, including both ancient traditions and modern developments.

6. Gods, Goddesses, Ghosts, and Demons ● China has a very old and rich tradition of legends and mythology. The main characters of these stories are gods, goddesses, ghosts, and demons. The main themes reflect various aspects of human nature, human relations, and social life. ● Chang-O was originally a woman. She became the goddess of the moon and became immortal when she drank the water of immortality that had been given to her husband. ● Chun-Ti was a goddess of war. She had many magical skills. ● Feng Pho-Pho was the goddess of winds. She was pictured as an old wrinkled woman who rode a tiger on a path of clouds. On calm days she stuffed the winds in her bag and carried them over her shoulder. ● Fu-Xi is the god husband of Nuwa. Like Nuwa, he is also portrayed as half-man half- dragon. Fu-Xi is the god who taught mankind many arts, such as the use of fishing nets, the breeding of silk worms, and the taming of wild animals. He also invented music, and most importantly, the eight trigrams (Pakua), said to be the basis of Chinese writing. ● Fu-Xing was the spirit of happiness.

7. Gods, Goddesses, Ghosts, and Demons ● Gong-Gong is a Chinese demon who was responsible for the great floods, together with the snake-like demon Xiang-Yao. ● Guanyin was the goddess of mercy. ● Hou-Chi was the lord of abundant harvests. He came into existence when his mother stepped on the footpring of a god. ● Nuwa is the goddess who created the first humans from mud after Heaven and Earth had separated. Nuwa was one of the most popular goddesses and was worshipped both as the intermediary between men and women, and as the goddess who grants children. She was a goddess whose lower part of the body is a dragon. ● Pan-Gu is the Chinese giant who was born from the cosmic egg. The upper part of the egg formed Heaven (Yang) and the lower part formed the Earth (Yin). Eventually he died and his body formed the earth. ● Qi-Yu was the rain god. He was half bull and half giant. ● Sarudahiko was the god of the crossroads and the symbol of male sexuality. He had a very large nose.