<P> In a mythical version of this story, presented in Wang Jia's 4th - century AD work Shi Yi Ji, Yu is assisted in his work by a yellow dragon and a black turtle (not necessarily related to the Black Tortoise of Chinese mythology). Another local myth says that Yu created the Sanmenxia (Sanxia is the one on Yangzi River, Sanmenxia is on Yellow River) "Three Passes Gorge" of the Yangzi River by cutting a mountain ridge with a divine battle - axe to control flooding . </P> <P> Traditional stories say that Yu sacrificed a great deal of his body to control the floods . For example, his hands were said to be thickly callused, and his feet were completely covered with callus . In one common story, Yu had only been married four days when he was given the task of fighting the flood . He said goodbye to his wife, saying that he did not know when he would return . During the thirteen years of flooding, he passed by his own family's doorstep three times, but each time he did not return inside his own home . The first time he passed, he heard that his wife was in labor . The second time he passed by, his son could already call out to his father . His family urged him to return home, but he said it was impossible as the flood was still going on . The third time Yu was passing by, his son was older than ten years old . Each time, Yu refused to go in the door, saying that as the flood was rendering countless number of people homeless, he could not rest . </P> <P> Yu supposedly killed Gong Gong's minister Xiangliu, a nine - headed snake monster . </P> <P> King Shun, who reigned after Yao, was so impressed by Yu's engineering work and diligence that he passed the throne to Yu instead of to his own son . Yu is said to have initially declined the throne, but was so popular with other local lords and chiefs that he agreed to become the new emperor, at the age of fifty - three . He established a capital at Anyi (Chinese: 安 邑), the ruins of which are in modern Xia County in southern Shanxi Province, and founded what would be called the Xia Dynasty, traditionally considered China's first dynasty . </P>

Where does the story of yu the great first appear