Yu Gong Removes the Mountains
愚公移山

Long, long ago in ancient China, there lived an old man named Yu Gong (which means “Foolish Old Man”). In front of his house stood two great mountains: Taihang Mountain and Wangwu Mountain. These huge mountains blocked the way, making it very difficult for Yu Gong’s family and the villagers to travel, farm, or visit neighbors.

One day, ninety-year-old Yu Gong gathered his sons and grandsons and said:

“These two mountains have troubled us for too long. Let us dig them away! Even if I cannot finish it in my lifetime, my children will continue, and their children after them. The mountains will not grow taller, but every basket of soil we carry away makes them smaller. One day they will be gone!”

Everyone agreed and began the hard work. They used pickaxes and baskets, breaking rocks and carrying soil to the sea far away. They worked from sunrise to sunset, only returning home once every few months.

A clever man called Zhi Sou (“Wise Old Man”) heard about this and laughed at Yu Gong:

“How foolish you are! You are almost one hundred years old and want to move mountains as tall as the sky? Even if you work until you die, you will not remove more than a few blades of grass from their tops!”

Yu Gong smiled calmly and replied:

“You are the one who lacks wisdom. Yes, I will die one day, but I have sons, my sons will have grandsons, and my grandsons will have their own sons. My family will go on forever, generation after generation. The mountains cannot grow bigger, but every day we make them smaller. Why should we not succeed in the end?”

The Wise Man had nothing to say.

Yu Gong’s words reached Heaven. The Emperor of Heaven was deeply moved by the old man’s determination and strong will. He sent two powerful mountain gods to earth. That very night, the gods lifted Taihang Mountain onto their shoulders and carried Wangwu Mountain in their hands. They moved the mountains far away to other places.

From that day on, the land in front of Yu Gong’s house became flat and open. People could travel freely, and the village prospered.

Moral of the Story

Where there is a will, there is a way. Nothing is impossible if we keep working toward our goal with perseverance and pass our determination on to the next generation. Even heaven will help those who never give up.

Source: Lie Zi (《列子·汤问篇》), a classic Daoist text from the Warring States Period (around 4th century BCE).

Share this timeless story of perseverance with children and friends — it reminds us that persistent effort can move even the greatest obstacles!