Ren Xiong - The Goddess of the Luo River

Luoshen () is a well-known figure in Chinese literature and folklore. She is the central character in the famous poem "" (Chinese: 洛神賦; pinyin: Luòshén fù, also alternatively translated as Rhapsody on the luo river goddess) written by

Cao Zhi Cao Zhi (; ; 192 – 27 December 232), courtesy name Zijian (), posthumously known as Prince Si of Chen (陈思王), was a prince of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period of China, and an accomplished poet in his time. His style o ...

, a poet from the Three Kingdoms period in ancient China. The tale of the goddess has been adapted and reimagined in various forms of Chinese art and literature throughout history, and she has become a symbol of beauty and unattainable love in Chinese culture.

In literature and poetry

The goddess of the Luo River is identified with various historical figures from different dynasties in Chinese history. According to legend, the goddess of the Lou River was Fufei, the daughter of

Fuxi Fuxi or Fu Hsi ( zh, c=伏羲) is a culture hero in Chinese mythology, credited along with his sister and wife Nüwa with creating humanity and the invention of music, hunting, fishing, domestication, and cooking, as well as the Cangjie syste ...

. Additionally, some versions of the legend state that she is Fuxi's consort. She drowned in the Luo River while crossing it and became the spirit of the Luo River. During the Cao Wei period, Cao Zhi wrote a poem called "Fu on the Luo River Goddess". The poem contains references to the spirit of the Luo River, named Consort Fu (Chinese: 宓妃; pinyin: Fúfēi), interpreted as a proxy for Empress Zhen by those who believed in Cao Zhi's infatuation with her. Because of this prose poem, his sister-in-law, Lady Zhen, was regarded as the reincarnation of the goddess of the Luo River. The poem portrays the goddess of the Luo River as a captivating and exquisite figure gracefully dancing by the water's edge. Cao Zhi, the younger brother of Empress Zhen's husband, is said to have been captivated by her beauty, inspiring him to pen the verses as a testament to his admiration and yearning for her. Cao Zhi's love for Empress Zhen went beyond the ordinary. As a poet, he understood the qualities and spirituality she sought. Unlike his brother Cao Pi, Lady Zhen's husband, who focused solely on political power and displayed cruelty, Cao Zhi embodied kindness and artistic sensibility. A tradition dating back to at least as far as an undated, anonymous note edited into the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

writer Li Shan's annotated ''

Wen Xuan The ''Wen Xuan'' (; ), usually translated ''Selections of Refined Literature'', is one of the earliest and most important anthologies of Chinese poetry and literature, and is one of the world's oldest literary anthologies to be arranged by top ...

'' had Cao Zhi meeting the ghost of the recently deceased Empress Zhen and writing a poem originally titled ''Gan Zhen Fu'' (; ''Rhapsody on Being Moved by Lady Zhen''). Afterwards, Cao Rui found this poem about his uncle's love for his mother and changed the title to ''Luo Shen Fu'' (), which could be translated as ''Rhapsody on the Goddess of the Luo'' or ''Rhapsody on the Divine Luo'', this second interpretation presumably referencing Lady Zhen's personal name, Luo. If true, this would be a forename unique to early China, as the Chinese character has been a toponym since it entered the language. In the ''

Chu Ci The ''Chu Ci'', variously translated as ''Verses of Chu'', ''Songs of Chu'', or ''Elegies of Chu'', is an ancient anthology of Chinese poetry including works traditionally attributed mainly to Qu Yuan and Song Yu from the Warring States period, ...

•

Heavenly Questions The ''Heavenly Questions'' or ''Questions to Heaven'' () is a piece contained in the Classical Chinese poetry collection of ''Chu Ci'', which is noted both in terms of poetry and as a source for information on the ancient culture of China, espec ...

'', it is recorded: "The Emperor sent

Hou Yi Hou Yi () is a mythological Chinese archer. He was also known as Shen Yi and simply as Yi (). He is also typically given the title of "Lord Archer". He is sometimes portrayed as a god of archery or a ''xian'' descended from heaven to aid mankin ...

to reform the people of Xia. Why did he shoot Hebo and take his wife Luoshen?" The passage is from the poem "Heavenly Questions" in the

anthology. It tells the story of Hou Yi, a legendary archer who was sent by the Emperor to reform the people of Xia. He was a skilled archer and hunter, and he used his skills to rid the world of many monsters and pests. However, he also became arrogant and tyrannical, and he eventually killed Hebo, the god of

Yellow River The Yellow River, also known as Huanghe, is the second-longest river in China and the List of rivers by length, sixth-longest river system on Earth, with an estimated length of and a Drainage basin, watershed of . Beginning in the Bayan H ...

and took his wife Luoshen as his own. Thus, Luoshen is considered to be the wife of Hebo. Tang dynasty poet Li Shangyin wrote a poem titled "Dong'e Wang" (The Prince of Dong'e) which goes: Goddess of luo shui partial

During the

Warring States period The Warring States period in history of China, Chinese history (221 BC) comprises the final two and a half centuries of the Zhou dynasty (256 BC), which were characterized by frequent warfare, bureaucratic and military reforms, and ...

, in the ''

• Li Sao'' (Songs of Chu • Encountering Sorrow), it is recorded: In the ''

Huainanzi The ''Huainanzi'' is an ancient Chinese text made up of essays from scholarly debates held at the court of Liu An, Prince of Huainan, before 139 BCE. Compiled as a handbook for an enlightened sovereign and his court, the work attempts to defi ...

• Chuzhen Xun'' (淮南子·俶真训), it is recorded: ''With Fufei as my concubine and Zhinü as my wife, what in the world could be enough to keep my heart?''. According to the ''Collected Explanations of the Li Sao'' (离骚纂义), Qu Fu noted that later generations regarded Fufei as the daughter of Fuxi. However, since she is referred to as "fei" (consort or concubine), it would be inappropriate to use this term for a daughter. Therefore, it is clear that Fufei must be a consort of the Fuxi.

Festival

In April 2016, the first Luoyang Sunshine Water World Luoshen Cultural Lantern Festival opened in the Luoyang Sunshine Water World scenic area. In October 2018, the first Luoyang·Shenlingzhai·Luoshen Red Leaves Food and Culture Tourism Festival was held in the Shenlingzhai scenic area of

Luoyang Luoyang ( zh, s=洛阳, t=洛陽, p=Luòyáng) is a city located in the confluence area of the Luo River and the Yellow River in the west of Henan province, China. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zheng ...

In popular culture

*Portrayed by Ada Choi in 2002 Hong Kong television series '' Where the Legend Begins'' *Portrayed by in 2005 Chinese television series ' *Portrayed by in 2013 Chinese television series ' *Luoshen is the creative impression of a fictional character and virtual singer,

Luo Tianyi Luo Tianyi () is a Chinese Vocaloid developed formerly by Bplats, Inc. under the Yamaha Corporation, and was created in collaboration with Shanghai Henian Information Technology Co. Ltd. She was released for the Vocaloid 3, Vocaloid 4 and V ...

*Luoshen was a playable character in the 2017 mobile card game ''Summoner of the Gods'' (封神召唤师)

References

{{Reflist Chinese deities Chinese goddesses Sea and river gods Personifications of rivers