Fifth Story Is ‘Yü(禹)’ the founder of China's first dynasty, Xià?
Numerous figures appear in ancient Chinese literature. 'Pángǔ(盤古)' the first human born after the creation of the world, 'Nǚ wā(女媧)' creates Man by making mud, 'Shénnóng(神農) or Yándì' God of Farming, 'Huángdì(黃帝)' king who organized civilization and institutions, 'Shun(舜)' the symbol of filial duty, ‘Yǔ(禹)’ who succeeded in controlling water and founded the Xià Dynasty, ‘Chéng tāng(成湯)’ who destroyed Xià and founded the Shāng(商) Dynasty, 'Wénwáng(文王)' and 'Wénwáng(文王)' who destroyed the Shāng Dynasty and founded the Zhōu(周) Dynasty. These characters constitute myths, legends, and history in ancient Chinese literature. However, due to the vague boundaries, there was a voice to question the credibility. The representative is 'Yí gǔ(疑古, suspicious of ancient times)' that appeared in Chinese academia since the 1920s. Húshì(胡適, 1891~1961) and Gùxiégāng(顧頡剛, 1893~1980) were scholars who led the Yí gǔ trend. They revealed the extreme perception that "we cannot believe the history before Dōngzhōu(東周, 770 BC to 221 BC)" and halved the 5,000 years of Chinese history.
Lee Yu-pyo, Research Fellow at NAHF Institute on Eurasian History