Depending on the tale, Gong Gong (共工) is either a terrible monster or an irresponsible water god in Chinese mythology.
As a monster, Gong Gong is a black dragon attended by Xiang Yao, and the sworn enemy of the Emperor Yao. He impaled Mount Buzhou on his horn, tearing a hole in the sky and disturbing the course of the sun. Gong Gong is thus responsible for any irregularities of weather or light.
As a water god, Gong Gong decided to fight Zhù Róng to determine which of them is more powerful. After several days, they fell out of heaven, and Gong Gong had lost. Humiliated, he attempted to kill himself by running headfirst into Mount Buzhou. A huge chunk fell off, tearing a hole in the sky and causing cracks in the earth. Water came gushing out, nearly covering the earth; fire came roaring out, and those areas that were not drowned were burnt. Nǚwā patched the sky, but when Gong Gong ran into the mountain, he accidentally tilted the heavens northwest. Gong Gong is thus responsible for the fact that all the rivers in China flow east.
| Chinese mythology | |
|---|---|
| Deities and Supernaturals | Guānyīn • Xī Wáng Mǔ |
| Groups | Bā Xiān • Lóng Wáng • Sanhuang Wudi |
| Monsters | Qílín |
| Locations | Kūnlún Mountains • Mount Pénglái |
| Cross-country mythology | Sūn Wùkōng |