Gonggong's Rage Against Mount Buzhou is an ancient myth that explains why the sky tilts to the northwest

Gonggong's Rage Against Mount Buzhou is a famous story from ancient Chinese mythology, first recorded in ancient texts such as the Huainanzi. Legend has it that Gonggong, the water god, lost his struggle with Zhuanxu for the throne of emperor. In a fit of rage, he rammed his head against Mount Buzhou, and as a result the pillar holding up the sky snapped and the ropes binding the earth broke apart, forever changing the structure of heaven and earth.

According to the records, Mount Buzhou was one of the heavenly pillars that propped up the sky. After it was broken, the sky tilted to the northwest and the earth collapsed toward the southeast, so the sun, moon and stars moved toward the northwest, and the silt of the rivers gathered toward the southeast. It was through this myth that the ancients explained the natural phenomenon of China's terrain, which is high in the west and low in the east, with the great rivers flowing eastward into the sea.

This myth is short in length, yet it creates a figure of extremely strong character. Opinions have always differed on Gonggong's act of dashing his head to the ground after his defeat; some consider him rash and willful, while others admire his daring to resist and his refusal to bend. In later literary works, this allusion is often used to describe furious anger and violent conflict, and is also often extended as a symbol of the spirit of resistance.

Within the mythological system, Gonggong's Rage Against Mount Buzhou is often linked with the legend of Nüwa Mending the Sky. The breaking of the heavenly pillar caused the sky to fall and the earth to sink, and only after Nüwa smelted five-colored stones to patch the sky and cut off the legs of the giant turtle to set up the four corners did heaven and earth return to peace. Today this story is included in Chinese language textbooks and various mythology readers, and is a classic window into the world of ancient Chinese mythology.