Yaoji

Yaoji (Chinese: 瑶姬; literally: 'Princess Beautiful Jade'),^[1] is a Chinese goddess of Wu Mountain.^[2] A shaman and master herbalist, Yaoji is responsible for the presence of many medicinal herbs on Earth. She is a protective weather goddess who raises and soothes storms. Some sources say that she was a daughter of the Yan Emperor, while later ones incorporate her into the Daoist religion by making her a daughter of the Queen Mother of the West. Yaoji is most well known from two poems, The Ode of Gaotang and The Ode of the Divine Maiden, both of which are attributed to the late Warring States poet Song Yu.

Legends

There are several different myths regarding her original purpose and intent, yet it is generally accepted that she represents the Goddess Peak (Shennu Feng) of Wu Mountain, which serves as the eastern gateway to the Three Gorges on the Yangtze River. Yaoji resided in the Heavenly Palace but grew bored with her existence. One day, she descended to Earth accompanied by her entourage of Fairies. Together, they tamed and shaped the gorge, giving rise to the formation of mountains. As their work neared completion, Yaoji discovered her profound affection for the Wushan Peaks. She made the decision to establish a permanent residence there, alongside her Fairy entourage. Eventually, she herself transformed into one of the peaks, known as Goddess Mountain. It is believed that the remaining peaks may also be transformed by Fairies.

Wu Gorge

Daughter of Yan Emperor

Yaoji first appeared in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, which states: "To the east, two hundred miles away, there is a mountain called Guyao. The emperor's daughter died there, and her name was Nüshi. She transformed into Yao Grass, with leaves that gradually grow, yellow flowers, and fruits like the autumn willow. When consumed, it captivates and charms people".

In this account, Yaoji is the third daughter of Yan Emperor (Chidi) and the sister of Jingwei. Unfortunately, she dies before reaching the age of marriage. Her body is buried on Wushan Mountain, while her soul ascends to Guyao Mountain where it transforms into Yao Grass. Later, the King of Heaven takes pity on her and prevents her from becoming a lonely ghost by arranging her presence on Wushan Mountain. In this manner, she ultimately attains the status of a goddess. Her maids, one by one, also undergo transformation, becoming the renowned twelve peaks of Wushan.^[3]

Daughter of the Queen Mother of the West

The legend of Yaoji aiding Yu the Great in controlling flooding has long been passed down as a folktale. In the later periods of the Tang dynasty and the Five Dynasties, Taoist Du Guangting utilized this legend to craft the character of Yunhua, the daughter of the Queen Mother of the West. In his work Yongcheng Jixianlu, the identity of Yaoji underwent a complete transformation: she was depicted as the youngest daughter among the Queen Mother's 23 daughters, and her name was Yunhua.

After learning divine magic from the Goddess of Three Primes, Yaoji was granted the title of Fairy Yunhua, with the responsibility of guiding the fairy boys and girls. However, she couldn't bear the tranquility of life in the heavenly palace. One day, she embarked on a journey to the East Sea accompanied by her retinue. As she arrived at the mist-covered Wushan Mountains, she witnessed dragons tormenting the people. Filled with anger, she resolved to rid the people of this evil. She fought and defeated the dragons, but their lifeless bodies transformed into enormous mountains, obstructing the flow of the Yangtze River. The fields and towns were submerged, and the region that is now Sichuan became an expansive sea.

To address the floodwaters, Yu traveled from the Yellow River to the Yangtze River. He attempted to carve open the mountains to divert the water, but the task was immense, surpassing the capabilities of any human. It was then that Yaoji summoned her six loyal followers, who utilized their divine magic to create a passage through the Three Gorges, allowing the floodwater to flow towards the East Sea.^[3]

Upon discovering that it was Yaoji who aided him, Yu ascended to the summit of Wushan Mountains to convey his gratitude. To his surprise, Yaoji materialized before him and presented him with a book bound in yellow brocade that contained knowledge on water control.

In literature and poetry

• Du Fu, the great poet of the Tang dynasty, lamented in his poems that "the Wushan goddess is wonderful and beautiful".
• During the Warring States period, the poet Song Yu's "Gaotang fu" (高唐赋) and "Shennu fu" (神女赋) describe the Wushan goddess as "the beautiful fairy who did as the drifting clouds at dawn and showers of rain at evening".^[4] Therefore, the name "Wushan goddess" was often used as a metaphor for beautiful women.
• Tang dynasty poet Li Bai wrote in his poem "Eight Poems of Ganxing" that "Tiandi's daughter Yaoji, wonderfully transformed into a cloud; turned into a night dream, unintentionally to King Chu". The story is set during the Warring States period and recounts a journey of King Huai to Gaotang, where he sees the beautiful goddess Yaoji in a dream. He is shocked by her beauty and becomes obsessed with her, ignoring political affairs.

Worship

At the foot of Flying Phoenix Peak of Wushan Mountains, there is a major temple dedicated to her memory, the Fairy Temple (神女廟).

In Daoist belief, Yaoji was granted the title of "Miaoyong Zhenren" (妙用真人, Perfect Person of the Miraculous Practice). The temple dedicated to her is named Ningzhen Temple. The surrounding landscape of the temple is renowned for its breathtaking beauty, with mountains adorned by enchanting clouds that create an air of mystery.

References

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