Mythical
legend /
demigod in
China,
Da Yu is the rumored first
emperor of the
Xia Dynasty, around 3000 BC - 2500 BC. Chances are this person did exist in real life, however, the extent of his achievements may have been greatly exaggerated since his
deification by the following
dynasties. The first in a string of world-
saviors celebrated in
China.
Known as the Tamer of the Floods, he was given credit for containing a "great deluge of water" that swept through ancient China eons ago. Historians suspect this to be the Yellow River, infamous for its yearly floods, and being a double-edged sword for the early Chinese civilization. With the aid of dragons, Da Yu dammed the great river and made the lands safe for civilization.
In real life, he most likely did lead the initial efforts to dam the Yellow River, given the importance of controlling the water to the progression of the Chinese people. The ancient capital of the Xia Dynasty, located at Anyang (a former myth, like Atlantis, but it was discovered in the 1970's), is near the area where the first dams were constructed. Da Yu's existence is higly possible, but the records of his deeds are not so concrete.