Xu Fu facts for kids
Xu Fu (also spelled Hsu Fu) was a Chinese explorer and alchemist. He was born in 255 BC in a place called Qi, an old Chinese state. He worked for the Qin Dynasty as a special advisor, sometimes called a court sorcerer.
Xu Fu is famous because the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, sent him on two big sea trips. The emperor wanted Xu Fu to find the elixir of life, which was a magical potion believed to grant immortality. These journeys happened between 219 BC and 210 BC. It's thought that Xu Fu's fleet had 60 ships, carrying soldiers, sailors, 3,000 boys, 3,000 girls, and many skilled workers. After his second trip in 210 BC, Xu Fu never came back.
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Xu Fu's Amazing Journeys
Emperor Qin Shi Huang was afraid of dying and really wanted to live forever. He trusted Xu Fu to find the secret to living forever. In 219 BC, Xu Fu was sent out with 3,000 young boys and girls. Their mission was to find the elixir of life from special immortal beings on a mythical place called Mount Penglai. One of these immortals was supposedly a very old magician named Anqi Sheng.
Xu Fu sailed for several years but couldn't find the mountain. In 210 BC, when Emperor Qin Shi Huang asked him what happened, Xu Fu said a giant sea creature was blocking their way. He asked for archers to help kill the creature. The emperor agreed and sent archers to hunt a huge fish. Xu Fu then set sail again, but he never returned from this journey.
Ancient writings, like the Records of the Grand Historian, say that Xu Fu reached a place with "flat plains and wide swamps." There, he supposedly declared himself king and decided not to go back to China.
Where Did Xu Fu Go?
Later historical books weren't clear about where Xu Fu ended up. Texts like Records of the Three Kingdoms and Book of the Later Han mentioned he landed in a place called "Danzhou," but nobody knows exactly where Danzhou was.
Much later, about 1,100 years after Xu Fu's last voyage, a monk named Yichu wrote about it. He said that Xu Fu landed in Japan. He also wrote that Xu Fu named Mount Fuji as Penglai, the mythical mountain. This story is now known as the "Legend of Xu Fu" in Japan. There are many monuments and places in Japan that remember him.
Xu Fu's Lasting Impact
Many people believe that Xu Fu brought new farming methods and knowledge to ancient Japan. These new ideas helped improve the lives of the Japanese people. He is also said to have introduced many new plants and skills. Because of these achievements, some Japanese people worship Xu Fu as the "god of farming," "god of medicine," and "god of silk."
You can find many temples and memorials dedicated to Xu Fu all over Japan. In a Chinese city called Xuzhou, there's even a special research center for Xu Fu at Xuzhou Teachers College.
Some historians, like Ino Okifu, have even suggested that Xu Fu might be the same person as Emperor Jimmu, who was the first emperor of Japan. The Yayoi period in Japan, which was a time of big changes, started around when Xu Fu is thought to have arrived.
Xu Fu has also inspired characters in stories. A character named Xu Fu appears in comics published by Marvel Comics. Also, Frank Zhang, a main character in Rick Riordan's The Heroes of Olympus series, is said to be a descendant of Xu Fu.
There's even a park named Jofuku Park in Shingu, Wakayama Prefecture in Japan, which is dedicated to him.
Xu Fu's Legacy in Japan
In Saga City, Saga Prefecture, there's a local story about Xu Fu. It says that when he reached the Ariake Sea, he floated a cup in the water. He decided to go ashore wherever the cup landed. Because of this, the place where he supposedly landed is called "Bubai," which means "floating cup."
Another legend says Xu Fu climbed to the top of Mount Kinryu. There, he met a wise hermit and got the elixir of immortal life. This elixir was supposedly made from a plant called furofuki. This plant still grows on Mount Kinryu today. The name "furofuki" is believed to come from the Japanese words "furofushi," meaning "not grow old, not die."
In October 2008, the Saga Xu Fu International Symposium was held in Saga City. Many researchers from Japan, China, Taiwan, and South Korea attended and shared their findings. A lecture was also given about Xu Fu's connection to the Yoshinogari site, an important archaeological site in Japan.
See also
In Spanish: Xu Fu para niños
