The Legend of Nüwa

In the distant past, after Pangu had created the world, it was empty and lifeless. The mountains and rivers were there, the sun and moon shone in the sky, but there were no creatures to enjoy the beauty of the earth. Seeing this barren world, the goddess Nüwa decided to fill it with life. Nüwa, with her serpent-like body and human face, traveled across the land and thought deeply about how to create beings in her image. She knelt by the riverbank and scooped up some yellow clay. Carefully, she molded the first human, shaping its body, head, limbs, and features to resemble her own form. Then, with a breath of divine energy, she brought the clay figure to life. The first human walked, talked, and explored the world. Inspired by her success, Nüwa continued to create more humans, one by one, until her hands grew weary. In order to speed up the process, she dipped a vine into the river and flicked droplets of mud across the land. Wherever the mud landed, humans sprang to life. Those formed by Nüwa’s hands were strong, wise, and noble, while those made from the droplets were more common and spread far across the land. For a time, the world flourished, but peace was not to last. One day, a great calamity struck—the pillars of heaven, holding up the sky, crumbled, and the heavens tore apart, causing floods and fire to ravage the earth. Mountains collapsed, and the seas churned with chaos. Humanity faced extinction. Seeing her creation in peril, Nüwa resolved to save them. She journeyed to the four corners of the earth, gathering five-colored stones. With these, she mended the cracks in the sky and restored the balance of the world. She then used the legs of a giant tortoise to support the pillars of heaven, ensuring that the sky would remain stable forevermore. Through Nüwa's boundless compassion and wisdom, humanity was saved, and the heavens and earth were made whole again. Her legacy as the mother of humankind and the protector of life continues to echo through time.