Li Bing
Li Bing was a hydraulic engineer from the Qin dynasty. He assisted his son in the construction of the complex irrigation system that prevented the Min River from flooding and irrigated the Chengdu Plain. In thanks for the prosperity that this brought to them, the local people elevated the father and son to gods.
When
- First attested
- 300 BCE
- Attested period
- -300 – 2020
- Historical notes
- Elevated to godhood during the Qin dynasty.
Relationships
- co occurs with
- evil dragon, fire dragon, Erlang Shen
- parent of
- Li Erlang
Mentioned by
Sources
Source passages
“Li Bing himself has been thought of as inspiration for Erlang. For stopping the floods of the Min River by constructing Dujiangyan, he was turned into a folk hero who defeated a river god in order to save his prefecture from being flooded. He was then portrayed as the new river god that protected the local people in the area from floods. However, a discrepancy comes up that even though Li Bing/Erlang was known as Guankou Shen, the river that he is associated with is in Qianwei and not Guankou.”
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