Kua Fu

Kua Fu is a renowned giant featured in the Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shanhai Jing). According to legend, in remote antiquity, the land suffered extreme heat and drought; determined to comprehend the sun’s movements and principles, Kua Fu resolved to chase it across the sky. Striding westward with colossal steps, he nearly overtook the setting sun at Yu Valley when overwhelming thirst struck him. He drank dry the Yellow River and the Wei River, yet remained parched—and as he set off northward toward the Great Marsh, he collapsed and died en route. With his final breath, he cast aside his staff, which instantly sprouted into a lush grove of peach trees—Denglin—providing shade and sustenance for future travelers. Though Kua Fu failed in his quest, his endeavor remains noble: his conscious defiance of impossibility, his unyielding perseverance, and his selfless act of transforming into shelter for those who would follow embody the primordial archetype of the Chinese people’s courageous exploration and successive striving—forever inspiring generations of dreamers and seekers.