Yu Chains the Dragon

The King Tames the Flood Dragon

In flood legends Yu chained the water fiend Wuzhiqi beneath Tortoise Mountain to end its ravages.

Among the labors of Yu the Great, subduing dragons was as important as dredging rivers. The most famous captive is Wuzhiqi, the ape-like god of the Huai River, whom Yu’s captain Gengchen bound with iron chains beneath Tortoise Mountain. Across China, wells called “Yu locks the dragon” preserve the tale: the king of floods chained the flood itself, and the chain must never be lifted.