The Historical Context of Yu the Great’s Rise to Power

The story of Yu the Great’s ascension to the throne is deeply rooted in China’s legendary flood control narrative. After decades of catastrophic flooding, Yu successfully tamed the waters through an unprecedented engineering effort, earning him the trust of Emperor Shun. In a small council attended only by Shun, Yu, and his key assistant Yi, Shun tested Yu’s governance philosophy. Yu’s response, recorded in the Book of Documents, outlined his “Nine Achievements” (Jiugong), a comprehensive framework for statecraft centered on moral leadership, resource management, and public welfare.

This moment marked a pivotal transition from the mythical era of the Five Emperors to the more structured Xia Dynasty (c. 2070–1600 BCE). Unlike earlier rulers who relied on kinship-based tribal alliances, Yu’s policies reflected a shift toward administrative governance, laying the groundwork for China’s first hereditary dynasty.

The Nine Achievements: A Blueprint for Governance

Yu’s “Nine Achievements” were divided into two categories: the Six Treasuries (Liufu), addressing material needs, and the Three Duties (Sanshi), focusing on societal harmony.

### The Six Treasuries: Foundations of Prosperity
1. Water Management: Maintaining flood control systems to prevent disaster recurrence.
2. Metal Tools: Advancing agricultural efficiency with bronze implements.
3. Fire (Food Safety): Promoting cooked food to improve public health.
4. Forestry: Regulating timber use and encouraging reforestation.
5. Construction: Enhancing housing with improved earthen architecture.
6. Agriculture: Expanding grain production to ensure food security.

Notably, water control remained Yu’s top priority—a reflection of the trauma left by centuries of floods. Archaeological finds like ceramic drainage pipes at the Erlitou site corroborate these efforts.

### The Three Duties: Balancing Societal Relationships
1. Moral Leadership (Zhengde): Ruling elites were to model virtue, fostering ethical behavior nationwide.
2. Resource Equity (Liyong): Resources were to be allocated frugally, prioritizing public welfare over elite extravagance.
3. Public Welfare (Housheng): Improving livelihoods to strengthen the state—a principle later echoed by scholars like Guo Moruo as “serving the people.”

Emperor Shun praised Yu’s vision, declaring it a timeless model for governance.

The “Yi” System: Reorganizing Society After the Floods

Post-flood societal dislocation necessitated administrative innovation. The Xia introduced the yi (邑), a semi-autonomous community blending clan-based traditions with territorial governance.

– Structure: A yi comprised both indigenous clans and migrant households, united under local administrators (lizai).
– Functions: Officials managed census data, agricultural coordination, tax collection, and security, using rudimentary record-keeping (e.g., tallying livestock).
– Housing: Excavations at Erlitou reveal standardized semi-subterranean homes with hearths, windows, and even early beds—luxuries unimaginable in pre-Xia times.

This system balanced continuity with change, allowing diverse populations to coexist under centralized rule.

Diet and Agriculture: From Subsistence to Surplus

Yu’s policies transformed Xia cuisine. Carbonized millet piles (up to 73 cm thick at Xia County) attest to abundant harvests, while imported crops like soybeans and rice diversified diets.

– Staples: “Root foods” (grains) dominated, but “fresh foods” (meat, fish) grew more common, evidenced by pig sacrifices at Tao Temple sites.
– Culinary Tech: “Grain-eating” (whole kernels) persisted until milling technology emerged later. Vegetable gardens, noted in the Xia Xiaozheng calendar, supplemented meals.

Cultural Identity: Clothing and Infrastructure

### The Aesthetics of Power
– Attire: Xia elites wore right-lapped robes (youren), distinguishing them from “left-lapped” tribal groups. Black, symbolizing water’s life-giving power, became the dynasty’s signature color—used in rituals, attire, and even chariots.
– Roads and Bridges: Yu’s Nine Highways linked the realm. Archaeologists have uncovered stone-paved roads (1.2–2 m wide) in Shanxi, while ballads celebrated seasonal bridge-building for trade.

Legacy: From Ancient Edicts to Modern Echoes

Yu’s Nine Achievements transcended their era. His emphasis on flood control, equitable resource use, and moral leadership resonates in contemporary China’s infrastructure projects and poverty alleviation campaigns. The yi system’s blend of flexibility and order prefigured later Chinese administrative models.

Even culinary habits endure: millet remains a northern staple, and the phrase “goverseas/鱼与熊掌” (fish vs. bear paw)—a Xia-era luxury dilemma—still denotes tough choices.

In governance, cuisine, or urban planning, the Xia Dynasty’s innovations under Yu’s vision reveal a civilization laying the bedrock for millennia of Chinese culture.