I think that each new dynasty predated itself as older than the previous dynasty (because Chinese are interested in ancestry and tradition) so they would be considered legitemit by the people.
Is that correct, and do you know a web site I can read up about it?
2007-02-26 10:08:50 · 14 answers · asked by tim 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The Chinese have their own flood legend.
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The flood theme is one of the very oldest in Chinese mythology. A flood myth from the Chou Dynasty of about 1000 B.C.E. is on record. The main difference between the Chinese flood myth and that of Western cultures seems to be the emphasis on why there was a flood. In the Western myths the floods are brought about because of the anger of the gods, or at a whim of the gods, while in the Chinese myth the emphasis is on a very practical matter, the channeling of unruly waters in such a way as to make cultivation of the land possible. No sense of divine justice here.
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It amazes me that the majority of people who responded to your question knew practically nothing about Chinese mythology, yet they responded to your question anyway.
Any idiot who read anything about Asian mythology knows that China has a global flood story (it is apparently well known in China), yet most of the people who responded here seemed to assume that they didn't.
So many self proclaimed China experts here [rolls eyes].
I take it from your question that you didn't expect to get this answer, either.
2007-02-26 10:14:18 · answer #1 · answered by Randy G 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I interperated the bible differently. One must understand that back then, the entire world only consisted of no more than 10,000 square miles for an individual. That was the world to them. For example, if you ever saw "The Gods Must Be Crazy', the man from the tribe wanted to walk to the end of the earth to throw away the bottle. I mean, existance is huge, but the physical space you reside in only exists as far as you know it. So when the flood devoured the world, it was meant for that entire region. Not the entire globe. But that was the world to them.
The egyption empire alone dates back to around 10,000 BC. If I recall correctly. The world that we know it has existed for a very long time. The first fossils of man have been to be predated back to millions of years ago. I think it was 3 million. But not 100% sure. But was def over 1 million.
I just learned something new:
"Archaeological evidence suggests that the earliest humans in China date to 2.24 million to 250,000 years ago.[2][3] A cave in Zhoukoudian (near present-day Beijing) has fossils dated at somewhere between 300,000 to 550,000 years."
"The earliest evidence of a fully modern human in China comes from Liujiang County, Guangxi, where a cranium has been found and dated to approximately 67,000 years ago. Although much controversy persists over the dating of the Liujiang remains,[4][5] a partial skeleton from Minatogawa in Okinawa, Japan has been dated to 18,250 ± 650 to 16,600 ± 300 years ago, so modern humans must have reached China before that time."-wikepedia
Sort of makes that 5,000 years look like 5 minutes. The thing that puzzled me was the circa dates. The range from 250,000 to 2,240,000 is a pretty large gap. Anyways, questions like these I always felt were better left alone. And yes, I am religous.
"And allah knows what all knows not"-quran
PEACE!
2007-02-26 10:23:07 · answer #2 · answered by effectivecause 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Considering the blending of science and theology, the flood explains the inaccurate timelines for Archaeology, the ice age and the destruction of many species.
A fully modern human in China comes from Liujiang County, Guangxi, where a cranium has been found and dated to approximately 67,000 years ago. To be found in that area at that depth would require that person to be drowned and buried in the flood or dead for 67000 years. Whichever you decide, that skull was definitely there before the flood.
If you'd like to know the oldest civilization still in existence today, it would be China.
The earliest civilization would be Sumerians, some of which still live in Iraq. However, who knows, with all the bombing in Iraq huh?
2007-02-26 10:26:41 · answer #3 · answered by Rothwyn 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The flood was on a smaller scale. There was no arc or Noah or a pair of every living creature on a boat. This is a myth. It is a myth found in many other religions. China was around before the Hebrews sat down and wrote this myth on paper.
2007-02-26 10:13:22 · answer #4 · answered by plferia 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
it is correct.
the flood only affected the Black Sea region. Where the sea is today was a valley below sea level (like Death Valley or the Dead Sea area). A quake opened up the barriers to the Aegean, and the sea flooded in.
all in all, it was a pretty localized event.
2007-02-26 10:12:45 · answer #5 · answered by kent_shakespear 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Would that be the flood that covered every continent on earth? Even though that much water doesn't exist on this planet?
I'd go with China on this one.
2007-02-26 10:17:41 · answer #6 · answered by Anthony Stark 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Could it possibly have something to do with there never having been a flood? Just a thought.
2007-02-26 10:11:38 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 1⤋
No flood in China.
2007-02-26 10:12:38 · answer #8 · answered by Cerebal 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
The flood happened in Mesopotamia only.
2007-02-26 10:13:25 · answer #9 · answered by darth_maul_8065 5 · 1⤊ 3⤋
If every Chinese citizen flushed their toilet at the same time...
Well, there's your flood. It could hapen tomorrow.
2007-02-26 10:12:09 · answer #10 · answered by Bran McMuffin 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋