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Fairy Tale
The Legend of Nü wa Mending the Sky
Time：2025-07-09 09:02:01 Hit：770
Mending the Sky with Stone: A Creation Myth Known Throughout China
The ancient Chinese myth of Nüwa mending the sky is widely known across the country. According to legend, the sky was broken in the northwest, and Nüwa smelted five-colored stones to repair it.
At the top level of the Wa Palace (Wahuanggong) in Shexian County is the Sky-Mending Pavilion (Butian Pavilion). Hanging between two central columns is a couplet:
"From Zhang River mud she shaped mankind,
To mend the sky she smelted five-colored stone."
Legend has it that after humanity had begun to multiply, the water god Gonggong and the fire god Zhurong engaged in a great battle. The two fought from heaven down to earth, causing widespread chaos. Zhurong eventually won, but Gonggong, unwilling to accept defeat, smashed his head against Mount Buzhou in a fit of rage.
Mount Buzhou, which had supported the heavens, collapsed. The sky tilted, leaving a gaping hole, and the earth cracked into deep ravines. Wildfires raged through forests, floodwaters gushed from underground, and fierce beasts like dragons and serpents emerged, attacking people. Humanity faced an unprecedented catastrophe.
Seeing the human world suffering such calamity, Nüwa was overwhelmed with sorrow. She resolved to repair the sky and end the disaster. She gathered various five-colored stones from the Qingzhang River, built a great furnace, and melted the stones into a glowing slurry. With this molten mixture, she mended the broken sky.
Archaeological evidence clearly shows that the goddess Nüwa and the myth of her mending the sky have long-standing roots in the regions of Shanxi and Hebei provinces.
From this myth arose the Sky-Mending Festival, a traditional folk holiday commemorating Nüwa’s heroic act to save humankind. It also became a festival where ancient people prayed for favorable weather, abundant harvests, and peace and prosperity for all living things.
The ancient Chinese myth of Nüwa mending the sky is widely known across the country. According to legend, the sky was broken in the northwest, and Nüwa smelted five-colored stones to repair it.
At the top level of the Wa Palace (Wahuanggong) in Shexian County is the Sky-Mending Pavilion (Butian Pavilion). Hanging between two central columns is a couplet:
"From Zhang River mud she shaped mankind,
To mend the sky she smelted five-colored stone."
Legend has it that after humanity had begun to multiply, the water god Gonggong and the fire god Zhurong engaged in a great battle. The two fought from heaven down to earth, causing widespread chaos. Zhurong eventually won, but Gonggong, unwilling to accept defeat, smashed his head against Mount Buzhou in a fit of rage.
Mount Buzhou, which had supported the heavens, collapsed. The sky tilted, leaving a gaping hole, and the earth cracked into deep ravines. Wildfires raged through forests, floodwaters gushed from underground, and fierce beasts like dragons and serpents emerged, attacking people. Humanity faced an unprecedented catastrophe.
Seeing the human world suffering such calamity, Nüwa was overwhelmed with sorrow. She resolved to repair the sky and end the disaster. She gathered various five-colored stones from the Qingzhang River, built a great furnace, and melted the stones into a glowing slurry. With this molten mixture, she mended the broken sky.
Archaeological evidence clearly shows that the goddess Nüwa and the myth of her mending the sky have long-standing roots in the regions of Shanxi and Hebei provinces.
From this myth arose the Sky-Mending Festival, a traditional folk holiday commemorating Nüwa’s heroic act to save humankind. It also became a festival where ancient people prayed for favorable weather, abundant harvests, and peace and prosperity for all living things.
Prev：Nüwa Creates Humans
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