Picture of Pangu, ancestor of humankind. (Image via orientaldiscovery.com)
The story of 开天辟地 (kāi tiān pì dì) is a story of the creation of world, when heaven and earth broke apart. Chinese legend tells of a time when the sky and the earth were once fused together as one. The world as a whole was an egg, or a 鸡蛋 (jí dàn) in Chinese. After thousands of years, Pangu, the creator of the world, broke the egg. The light eregg white became the sky and the heavier egg yolk the earth. Pangu lifted the sky and kept the earth and sky separated. Everyday, he would grow a little bit taller, until the sky became very high up. Once Pangu realized his task of 开天辟地 (kāi tiān pì dì) was completed, he passed away.
When he died, his body became the five most famous mountains in China: Mt. Song, Mt. Tai, Mt. Heng (in Hunan province), Mt. Hua, and Mt. Heng (in Shanxi province).
This legend inspired the idiom 开天辟地, which refers to the formation of heaven and earth.
Read the story in Chinese here, and the English version here.
When he died, his body became the five most famous mountains in China: Mt. Song, Mt. Tai, Mt. Heng (in Hunan province), Mt. Hua, and Mt. Heng (in Shanxi province).
This legend inspired the idiom 开天辟地, which refers to the formation of heaven and earth.
Read the story in Chinese here, and the English version here.