Chinese Mythology
The Creation of the World Myth Pangu is a prominent figure in Chinese creation mythology. To this day, the Zhuang people sing a traditional song about Pangu creating the Heaven and Earth. The origin of the Pangu myth has been much debated. Many believe it originated with Xu Zheng, a Chinese author from the 3 rd century AD, as he was the first writer known to record it; some propose that it originated in the mythologies of the Miao or Yao people of southern China, while others see a parallel to ancient Hindu mythology of creation. The Pangu myth follows as thus: In the beginning the universe was nothing but chaos, and the heavens and the earth were intermingled—a big black egg being commonly used as an analogy. Pangu was born inside of this egg and slept for 18,000 years, during which time the Yin and Yang balanced as he grew. When he awoke, he realized he was trapped within it. He cracked the egg and began to push it apart, essentially splitting the Yin and Yang. The upper half of