Nüwa Creates Mankind
Nüwa using her own form as a template, molded humans from Yellow River mud, infused them with life, distinguished between men and women, and established a marriage system to propagate humanity, with the story reflecting mythological imagery of maternal creativity and the origin of life.
The Legend of Nüwa Mending the Sky
After a great war, the sky was torn open, and fires raged while floods engulfed the earth. The goddess Nuwa, compassionating humanity’s suffering, collected five-colored stones and melted them to patch the celestial cracks. She also cut off the legs of a giant turtle to support the four corners of the sky. With her efforts, peace and order were restored, and humanity was saved.
Pangu Separates Heaven and Earth
In the beginning, the universe was a chaotic mass like an egg, with Pangu sleeping inside for 18,000 years. One day, he woke up and wielded a giant axe to split the chaos. The lighter parts rose to form heaven, and the heavier parts sank to become earth. To prevent them from merging again, Pangu stood between heaven and earth, holding them apart for another 18,000 years. When he died, his body transformed into the world’s elements: his breath became wind and clouds, his voice thunder, his eyes the sun and moon, his limbs the four directions, and his blood rivers.