Da Yu ( 大禹 ) was the legendary first Chinese monarch of the Xia Dynasty ( 夏朝 ) , considered as the founder of the dynasty. Occasionally identified as one of The Three August Ones and the Five Emperors ( 三皇五帝 ) , he is best remembered for teaching the people flood control techniques to tame China's rivers and lakes.

Yu's father, Gun ( 鲧 ) , was assigned by Yao ( 尧 ) to regulate the floods. Gun was so unsuccessful in his attempt that he was executed by the later ruler Shun ( 舜 ) . Recruited as a successor to his father, Yun ( 禹 ) gathered the elder who had regulated the flood together with his father, and drew the conclusion about the former failure. The discussions between them illuminated Yu for controling the flood. Afer finishing many factual research, Yue then put a feasible method in action. He continued strengthening and buliding the dam, meanwhile dredged new river channels as outlets, which spent him a back-breaking thirteen years and some 20,000 workers in the task. As an influential result, nine main rivers had been dredged and then converged into the sea. From then on, the water system in that period had been improved sharply.

Yu is remembered as an example of perseverance and determination. He is revered as the perfect civil servant. Stories abound about his work in flood techniques taking such importance to him that he bypassed his house three times in thirteen years but never went in — reasoning that a family reunion would take his time and mind away from the flood control problem.

According to historical texts, Yu died at Mount Kuaiji whilst on a hunting tour on the southern frontier of his empire, and was buried there, where a mausoleum was built in his honor. A number of emperors in imperial times have travelled there to perform ceremonies in his honour, notably Qin Shi Huang ( 秦始皇 ) . A temple, Dayu Ling ( 大禹陵 ), has been built on the traditional site where the ceremonies are performed.