Fox Gorge and Yu’s Axe

　　Fox Gorge and Yu’s Axe, Jishi Gorge, also known as Mengda Gorge, is the place where Yu the Great split the Jishi Mountains to divert the Yellow River. The Yellow River enters from Mapo in Qingshui Township in the west, flowing from west to east, winding through 20 kilometers before exiting at Guanmen Gorge. The canyon is flanked by steep cliffs on both sides, forming a perilous terrain that can be described as “a world apart within inches.” The Yellow River cuts through it with a narrow channel, hidden reefs, and roaring rapids. At its narrowest point, even a wild fox can leap across, hence the name “Wild Fox Gorge.” Legend has it that during Yu the Great’s flood control efforts, the tightly sealed Jishi Gorge caused a vast expanse of Xunhua to be submerged under water. Yu the Great split the gorge, allowing the surging Yellow River to flow thousands of miles away, revealing a fertile plain—now known as Xunhua. Thousands of years have passed since then, yet the axe marks of the ancient excavators can still be faintly seen. A poem reads: “Yu split the Jishi Mountains, benefiting generations; he carved open the golden lock to let the dragon roam; he broadened the fertile plains connecting all lands, yet only the axe marks remain through ancient and modern times.” On the south bank of the upper reaches of the Yellow River at Suotongpo, there is a huge rock called “Yu the Great’s Stone,” named after the legend that Yu the Great rested on it while diverting the river. To commemorate Yu the Great’s achievements in flood control, later generations specially built the Temple of Yu the Great at Dahejia in Jishishan County. It was burned down in 1895 (the 21st year of the Guangxu reign) during local warfare, but the ruins still remain.