Legends in Yangtze River HistoryⅠ

Famous Legends in Yangtze River History

Our ancestors ever tried to explain the formation of Yangtze River Three Gorges and wonderful natural scenes in the gorges. As the limitation of knowledge at that time, it was very hard for them to make out scientific explanation about these scenes. So they fully used their imagination and placed their hope on God and immortals. They thought all the things in the world were the result of supernatural forces. The legend about Yu harness flood in Three Gorges area is the symbol of Three Gorges legends. Except the legend about Yu, there are many other legends widely spread in Yangtze River area. They are important parts of the Yangtze River history, and add more fun to Yangtze Cruise tourist.

Legends in Yangtze River History – Hua Jiao (Pepper)

As early as the flood period, Yu ever leaded army to harness the flood at Yangtze River Three Gorges area. After the flood retreated back, people came back to their home and planted crops.

In the flood control army of Yu, there was an old doctor and his beautiful and brilliant granddaughter, named Hua Jiao. Hua Jiao always went out with her grandfather to treat diseases for workers and local people. When Yu controlled the flood and wanted to leave for other places, the eye diseases became popular at this area. A best friend of Hua Jiao also got this disease and became very thin for pain. So, Hua Jiao didn't want to leave here with her grandfather. She said to her grandfather that she wanted to stay at Three Gorges. But her grandfather didn't agree. Hua Jiao asked Yu to persuade her grandfather. Yu very pleased to see this girl have a kind heart. But Yu decided to ask her some questions, and let her to cure the eye diseases for some persons. She did these well. So, Yu helped here to persuade her grandfather. At last, she left in Three Gorges.

After Yu and her grandfather left, she also went out to treat diseases for local people. After a long time, she cured many sick people, and the local people happily called her "Geniuses Girl". Later, the special geography condition made the eye disease become popular again at this area. In serious area, the moan can be heard in every family, and some persons became blind. Hua Jiao was very anxious about this condition. But she couldn't deal with it by herself. So she asked people to search a kind of medicine which bloom white flower, grow out small fruits, which taste numbness. This medicine is effective for the eye diseases. People who taken this medicine came back the health quickly. Thence, it became special medicine to cure eye diseases. In order to make the picking work more convenience, people planted this tree around their houses. In order to prevent the eye diseases, people put this red seed into their dishes. After a long time, it became a special spice with chili.

From then on, this custom was widely spread. In order to commemorate Hua Jiao, people named this red seed as "Hua Jiao" (Pepper).