Da Yu was born in the first dynasty of China called Xia Dynasty (夏朝) more than 4000 years ago. His father Gun (鲧) was also a river engineer, who was sentenced to death by the king Shun (舜) because of his failure to control the levee breach of the Yellow River. Da Yu inherited his father's experience, and after much investigation and research, he found the reason for the floods. He thought that the floods damaged the banks in the depressed floodplain areas because of the speed of the flow rushing from its high main channel. He led his fellow workers to dredge the main channel, and let the flow down to the lower area, then he successfully prevented the levee breach and river flooding.
Da Yu worked very hard on the river engineering issues of the Yellow River. He had been working in harnessing the river for 13 years. During these periods he did not go back his home, even 3 times when he passed by the front door of his house. This became a good example of how Chinese people are proud of. The legend about him is in reality a reflection of the ancient Chinese people who struggled against the floods of the Yellow River, but never obeyed their fate to surrender to the nature.
Because of his success in controlling the river, Da Yu obtained the crown vacated by Shun according to the doctrine of handing the crown to the talented after abdication of the king. But it was Da Yu who passed his power to his own son Qi (启) by establishing the hereditary system. Then Qi founded the Xia Dynasty, the first Chinese dynasty recorded. The statue of Da Yu is being build at Huayuankou (lower reach) of the Yellow River.
