What is Yu Gong and what does Yu Gong mean

Yu Gong is an article of the Book of Shang. Regarding the writing era of "Yu Gong", there are roughly four theories in the late period: (1) Xin Shuzhi's Western Zhou theory (Note:

Xin Shuzhi, "Speculation on the Era of Yugong Production", J, Journal of Northwest Agricultural University, No. 3, 1957. Wang Guowei also believed that "Yu Gong" was written by people in the early Zhou Dynasty in "New Evidence of Ancient History".

2) Confucius Theory of the Spring and Autumn Period of Wang Cheng's Group (Note: Wang Chengguo: "Re-evaluating the Age of the Formation of Yugong from Comparative Research" J, Journal of Northwest University, No. 4, 1957.

3) Gu Jiegang's theory of the middle period of the Warring States period (Note: see Hou Renzhi, editor-in-chief: Selected Readings of Ancient Chinese Geographical Masterpieces: Yu Gong (Full Text Annotation) m, Science Press, 1959.

4) The Japanese Neiteng Torajiro said from the end of the Warring States period to the beginning of the Han Dynasty (Note: Nitten Torajiro: "Yugong Production Chronology" m, translated by Zaijiang Xiaan:

Examination of the Pre-Qin Classics, The Commercial Press, 1931. ）。Mr. Gu Jiegang believes that "the author of "Yu Gong" is from the northwest" and speculates that "it may be from the Qin State", while Mr. Shi Nianhai wrote "On the Era of Yu Gong's Writings" (Note:

In Rivers and Mountains, Part II, Joint Publishing House, 1981. In the article, according to the names of "South River" and "West River" in "Yu Gong", the author is identified as a native of Wei (Note: For a comprehensive discussion of the age and author of "Yu Gong", please refer to Jin Shenghe for details

Introduction to Chinese Historical Geography Documents, pp. 29-30, Shanxi People's Publishing House, 1987; Liu Qi: Yu Gong Author", in Tan Qixiang (ed.), Commentary on Chinese Geographers of the Past Dynasties, Vol. 1, Shandong Education Press, 1990.

The full text of Yu Gong is only 1189 words, although the length is small, but it is the most scientific geographical work in the pre-Qin period. The chapter "Kyushu" describes the territory, mountains, rivers, plains, soil, taxes, tributes, and tributes of the prefectures of Hebei, Yan, Qing, Xu, Yang, Jing, Henan, Liang, and Yongzhou, and the chapters of "Guiding Mountains" and "Guiding Water" describe the general trend of the distribution of mountains and rivers across the country, and the chapter of "Five Services" puts forward an ideal political blueprint for unification with the five suits of Dian, Hou, Sui, Yao, and Huang. From the current point of view, the content of "Yu Gong" has involved many aspects of physical geography and human geography, and can be said to be the first collection of geographical works in China.

Because of this, the Ming scholar Ai Nanying said in the "Yu Gong Diagram Annotation Preface": "The book "Yu Gong" is the ancestor of ancient and modern geography. Qing Dynasty scholar Li Zhenyu also said in the preface to Hu Wei's "Yugong Cone Finger".

Since Yu ruled the water, it has been more than 4,000 years, and there are hundreds of books of geography, and there are no people who exceed the scope of "Yu Gong". It can be seen that "Yu Gong" has a great influence on ancient Chinese geography. It should be particularly emphasized that although "Yu Gong" is a work of Tuogu, its content is basically based on the historical facts of the Xia Dynasty.

The Xia Dynasty was written by the Warring States people, which shows that "Yu Gong" should be a work of history and geography. However, most of the geographical works in the embryonic period of geography are not distinguishable between contemporary geography and previous geography, and "Yu Gong" is no exception.

Yu Gong is the oldest geographical document in our country that has been handed down so far, it only uses more than 1,100 words, the main mountains and rivers, soil, products, tribute and so on in our country to describe clearly. Confucianism has been regarded as a guideline by all generations, and even if it is measured from the perspective of modern science, it is still the oldest and most valuable historical geography document. It is a chapter in the Book of Shang.

China's earliest Kyushu theory is recorded here. Yangzhou: One of the nine prefectures recorded in Yugongli that year.

Yu Gong is the oldest geographical document and the most valuable historical geography document in China.

Yu Gong is an ancient Chinese masterpiece, belonging to the "Book of Books" (a work of "Shujing", referred to as "Shu"), its geographical records include the mountains, rivers, terrain, soil, products and other conditions. There are different theories about its authorship, Wang Guowei believes that "Yu Gong" was written by the early Zhou people in "New Evidence of Ancient History"; Shi Nianhai in the article "On the Era of Yu Gong's Writings", according to "Yu Gong"."South River"、"West River", identified the author as a native of Wei; Gu Jiegang believes that it came from the hands of the Qin people during the Warring States period; In addition, there is the Japanese scholar Torajiro Naito's theory from the end of the Warring States period to the beginning of the Han Dynasty.

The 1193-character book of Yu Gong divides the country into 9 districts (i.e., "Kyushu") with natural geographical entities (mountains, rivers, etc.) as symbols, and briefly describes the natural and human geographical phenomena such as the territory, mountains, rivers, vegetation, soil, products, tribute, ethnic minorities, and transportation of each region (state). The book is divided into 5 parts: Kyushu.

Describe the flood flow in ancient times, do not distinguish the region, after Yu ruled the water, it was divided into Hebei, Yan, Qing, Xu, Yang, Jing, Henan, Liang, Yongjiuzhou, and briefly described the geographical overview of each state. Guide Mountain. The Kyushu mountain range is divided into four columns, describing the names, distribution characteristics and treatment of the main mountain ranges, and explaining that the purpose of guiding the mountains is to control water.

Water conduction. Describe the names, headwaters, distribution characteristics, and diversion of 9 major rivers and river systems. Water power.

In short, after the water and soil of Kyushu have been treated, the rivers are connected to the four seas, and there is no longer the danger of congestion and collapse. Five suits. The narration is within the reach of national strength, with Kyoto as the center, from near to far, and is divided into five suits: Dian, Hou, Sui, Yao, and Huang.

Since then, Kyushu has been stable.

Q: Is "Yu Gong" special in "Shangshu"?

Answer: Yes, "Yu Gong" is a special article, it does not record a certain person or a certain historical event, which is different from other articles in the "Book of Shang", it records geographical content. If other articles are regarded as humanities, then "Yu Gong" is the only article on natural sciences.

However, we still have to understand clearly that most of the articles of the ancients are in a state where real situations and legends are mixed with each other, and we must screen and study the content of them.

In the title. Yu: refers to Dayu; Gong: Most people interpret it according to "Guangya" as "tax is also Qin Wei cover, offering also". It is what we usually call "tribute".

So what do these two words mean together?

That is to say, the article first recorded the geography of Kyushu with the help of the story of Dayu's control of the water, and determined the tribute of their respective states (that is, the tribute of each local Jin to the imperial court) according to the different geographical and property environments of different states.

In addition, starting from "Yu Gong", we entered the part of "Shangshu Xia Shu" together.

Answer: As mentioned earlier, the Book of Shang can be divided into: Yu Xia, Shang Zhou, four main parts.

Today's Wenshangshu Xia Shu": "Yu Gong" and "Willing Oath" two articles.

Ancient Wenshangshu Xia Shu": There are two more "Song of the Five Sons" and "Yinzheng", a total of four articles.

Q: "Yu Gong" is divided into several parts, and what are the main contents of each?

A: We can simply divide it into three parts:

Parts 1 and 3 have a beginning, and a summary goes without saying.

The middle part can be divided into two parts:

1. Wrote about the natural situation of Kyushu, which are: Jizhou, Yanzhou, Qingzhou, Xuzhou, Yangzhou, Jingzhou, Yuzhou, Liangzhou, and Yongzhou.

2. Wrote about the situation of "opening mountains and guiding water".

The middle part is the core content of "Yu Gong", which is more important.

Yu Gong is one of the "Book of Shang". It was the Wei State when the Warring States was coarse.

The people named Yu's works, so they took the name of "Yu Gong". This is the oldest and most systematic work on geography in ancient Chinese literature.

The whole article of "Yugong with Blind Town" is only 1200 words, and it is composed of 4 parts: "Kyushu", "Guide Mountain", "Guide Water" and "Five Suits". The whole book takes geography as the path, and divides the world into Kyushu at that time.

The bamboo slips of the Zhou Dynasty were widely used and circulated, which provided the possibility for the systematic accumulation of geographical knowledge and the emergence of geographical works.

Yu Gong is a work in ancient Chinese literature with the geographical concept of the extinct limb system. It is a shining example of China's oldest regional geography. In China's thousands of years of inheritance and early unification concepts, "Yu Kou Gong" is the first systematic geographical work in China, and it is also the oldest regional geography pioneer in the world.

Yu, surnamed Ji, the name Wenming (there is also a saying that Yu is the name), the word (high) dense. Known as Dayu and Emperor Yu in history, he was the leader of the Xia Hou clan and the founding king of the Xia Dynasty. Yu is the great-great-grandson of the Yellow Emperor and the grandson of Zhuan Xuan (but it is also said that Yu should be the sixth grandson of Zhuan).

His father's name is Kun, and he was named by Emperor Yao in Chong, as an earl, known as "Chongbo Kun" or "Chongbo", and his mother is the daughter of the Xin family. According to legend, Yu had a meritorious role in governing the Yellow River, and was given the throne by Shun Chan. Yu was the last leader of the tribal alliance to emerge under the Chan Rang system.

Under the support of the princes, the son of Yu Qi took Yangcheng as the capital, and said that Pingyang was the capital (or in Anyi or Jinyang), and the country was called Xia. And divide Danzhu in Tang, and divide the merchants in Yu. Yu's son Qi was the first son of heaven in the Xia Dynasty.

Yu is the ancient Chinese legend era and Yao and Shun as famous sage emperor, his most outstanding achievement, is the history of the praised management of monstrous floods, and delineate the territory of China as Kyushu. Later generations called him Dayu. After Yu's death, he was buried on Huiji Mountain (now south of Shaoxing City, Zhejiang), and there are still Yu Temple, Yu Tomb, Yu Temple.

Since Xia Qi, most of the emperors of all dynasties have come to Yuling to worship him.