Ximen Bao facts for kids
Ximen Bao was a smart engineer and government leader in ancient China. He lived during a time called the Warring States period (around 445–396 BC). He worked for Marquis Wen of Wei, an important ruler. Ximen Bao was known for being very logical. He helped stop a terrible tradition where people were sacrificed to a river god. He also became famous for building a huge canal system. This system helped bring water to farms and stop floods.
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Ximen Bao's Amazing Engineering Work
Ximen Bao was famous for his big engineering projects. He lived in the 5th century BC. He planned a huge project to change the path of the Zhang River. This river used to flow into the Yellow River near Anyang. Ximen Bao's plan made the Zhang River flow further south. It then joined the Yellow River near modern-day Tianjin.
The Zhang River starts in the mountains of Shanxi province. It flowed southeast and often made the Yellow River overflow. The main goal of Ximen Bao's project was to water a large farming area. This area was called Henei. He wanted to create a natural canal system for irrigation.
Work on this canal system started between 403 BC and 387 BC. This was when Marquis Wen and his son, Marquis Wu, ruled the State of Wei. The project faced some problems. People sometimes resisted the forced labor needed to build it. Because of these issues, the project took a long time. It was finally finished about 100 years later. This was during the time of King Xiang (襄王), Marquis Wen's grandson. Another engineer named Shi Chi completed Ximen Bao's great work.
The Story of Hebo's Bride
Ximen Bao is a main character in a famous historical story. It is called Hebo's Bride.
Around 400 BC, Ximen Bao was put in charge of Ye County. This was a poor area that often had floods. He met with the local people to learn about their problems. To his surprise, they did not say flooding was their biggest issue. Instead, they talked about high taxes. These taxes were for providing a bride for Hebo, the River God. This practice was making them very poor. Families with young daughters lived in fear.
Some powerful elders, called San Lao (三老), worked with local officials and a shamaness. They made up a story. They said the floods were caused by the River God's anger. To make the god happy, they said a beautiful young maiden had to be sacrificed each year. This group heavily taxed the county. They used a small part of the money for the ceremony. They kept the rest for themselves.
If a family could not pay the tax, their daughter might be taken. She would be dressed up for the ceremony. Then, she would be placed on a simple boat. The boat would float down the river until it broke apart. The maiden would then sink into the river. Many families with young daughters sent them away to keep them safe. This caused even more problems for the county.
On the day of a ceremony, Ximen Bao arrived at the river. He met the shamaness, her helpers, the three elders, and the local officials. Many villagers and the maiden were also there. Over a thousand people watched. Ximen Bao said he needed to check the maiden. He then declared she was not beautiful enough for a god. He said giving a bad bride would make the River God even angrier.
Ximen Bao ordered the ceremony to be stopped. He said they needed to find a better bride. Then, he told his soldiers to throw the shamaness into the river. He said she should report to the River God about the delay. She should also ask the god for his answer. The shamaness did not return. So, Ximen Bao gave her helpers the same task. He threw each of them into the river. When they also did not return, he threw each of the three elders into the river.
None of them returned from the river. Ximen Bao then told the local officials and village elders to go into the river to find them. Instead, everyone knelt before him in fear. They promised never to do the sacrifice again. After that day, sacrificing brides to the River God stopped in Ye County.
After this, Ximen Bao looked at the land. He saw where the river could flow. He asked the people to help him dig 12 canals. These canals helped reduce the water flow from the river. They also brought water to the farmland. At first, the people complained that digging the canals was hard work. But once the canals were finished, everyone benefited. There were no more floods. The crops grew much better. From then on, the people in Ye County lived in peace and were very successful.
Ximen Bao's Lasting Impact
The people of Ye County were very grateful for the Zhang River project. They even made a popular song about it. This song was written down by the historian Ban Gu from the later Han dynasty.
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