🥚 Chinese Creation Myth

Primordial Chaos (混沌, Hùndùn)

Before time, before space, there existed only Hundun—absolute chaos, a formless void where nothing was distinguished from anything else. Yin and Yang existed but were completely intermixed, inseparable. Light and dark, hot and cold, solid and void—all were one undifferentiated mass. This state was called Wuji (無極), the "Without Ultimate," the state before polarity.

The Cosmic Egg

Within the chaos, a cosmic egg formed—though whether by chance or cosmic law, sources do not say. This egg contained all potential existence. It floated in the void for 18,000 years, gestating. Inside the egg, Pangu (盤古) slept, growing, waiting for the moment of emergence. The egg represented Taiji (太極), the "Supreme Ultimate," where Yin and Yang first began to differentiate but remained united.

Pangu's Awakening

After 18,000 years of gestation, Pangu awoke. Finding himself confined in darkness, he stretched and yawned. The egg cracked. Some versions say he used a great axe to split the egg; others say his growth alone shattered it. At the moment of breaking, the first separation occurred: the light, pure Yang elements rose to become Heaven (天, Tiān), while the heavy, turbid Yin elements sank to become Earth (地, Dì). This was the beginning of all dualities.

Holding Apart Heaven and Earth

But Heaven and Earth threatened to merge back into chaos. Pangu, standing between them, placed one hand on Heaven and one foot on Earth. Each day, Heaven rose ten feet higher; each day, Earth grew ten feet thicker; each day, Pangu grew ten feet taller to keep them separated. This continued for another 18,000 years. By the end, Heaven was immeasurably high, Earth was immeasurably deep, and Pangu stood between them as a colossal giant—his head touching Heaven, his feet planted on Earth.

Total time: 36,000 years of labor to establish the structure of reality.

Pangu's Sacrifice

After holding Heaven and Earth apart for 18,000 years, Pangu's task was complete. The separation was permanent; the cosmos was stable. Exhausted, the great giant died. But his death was not an ending—it was the ultimate act of creation. His body transformed into the features of the world:

• His breath became the wind and clouds
• His voice became thunder
• His left eye became the sun
• His right eye became the moon
• His blood and fluids became rivers and seas
• His veins became roads and paths
• His muscles became farmland
• His skin and body hair became plants and trees
• His bones became minerals and precious stones
• His teeth became metals
• His marrow became jade and pearls
• His sweat became rain and dew
• His head became sacred mountains
• His limbs became the four cardinal directions

Some versions add that the parasites on his body became the first humans and animals, though this is considered a later addition.

The Emergence of Deities

After Pangu's transformation, the next generation of beings emerged. Different traditions disagree on the sequence:

• Taoist Version: The Three Pure Ones (三清) emerged from primordial qi, representing the highest cosmic principles
• Folk Version: Nüwa (女媧) and Fuxi (伏羲), the brother-sister creator gods, shaped the world and created humanity
• Later Addition: The Jade Emperor eventually rose to become supreme administrator of the cosmos

The Creation of Humanity

The creation of humans is attributed to Nüwa, the mother goddess:

• Feeling lonely on the new earth, Nüwa molded humans from yellow clay
• The first humans, carefully crafted, became nobles and aristocrats
• Tired of individual work, she dipped a rope in mud and swung it—the mud droplets became commoners
• She taught humans marriage and social order

Later, when the pillars of heaven broke (causing floods), Nüwa smelted five-colored stones to repair the sky, saved humanity, and established cosmic order.

The Final State: Ordered Cosmos

The result of these creative acts is the structured universe we inhabit:

• Heaven (天): The realm of gods and immortals
• Earth (地): The realm of humans, animals, and spirits
• Underworld (冥界): The realm of the dead and judgment
• Yin and Yang: Permanently distinguished yet eternally interacting
• Five Elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water cycling through creation
• Celestial Bureaucracy: Gods administering all affairs