The Legend of King Qian Shooting the Tides

During the reign of King Qian Liu of Wuyue Kingdom, Qiantang River was plagued by flooding tides, which inundated farmlands and destroyed homes. The city of Hangzhou often found itself submerged by floodwater, with people having to travel by boat even for everyday tasks.

To combat the tides, King Qian Liu ordered the construction of a seawall using bamboo and timber piles reinforced with giant stones and mortise and tenon joint structures, forming a trapezoidal barrier against the waves. Despite meticulous planning, the construction of the seawall faced many challenges due to the relentless tides. It seemed that no matter how hard they worked, the tides always managed to break through the barriers on one side while repairs were underway on the other.

The officials responsible for the construction speculated that the flooding tides were the work of the Tide God, Wu Zixu, venting his frustration and resentment. They believed that the unstoppable force of the Qiantang tides represented the accumulated grievances of his unjust life.

In response, King Qian and his ministers decided to erect a tall platform on Wushan Hill to offer prayers and sacrifices to Wu Zixu. However, even after these rituals, the seawall was breached once again. King Qian, realizing that diplomacy had failed, decided to take more forceful action. He boldly declared, "Why fear the petty Tide God? I shall meet him head-on. Send word to gather ten thousand archers on both banks of the Qiantang River on the 18th of the eighth month!"

Legend had it that the 18th of the eighth month was the Tide God's birthday, when the tides reached their highest and fiercest. Moreover, it was said that the Tide God would ride a white horse at the forefront of the tidal wave.

On the appointed day, a grand platform was erected on the banks of the Qiantang River. As the day broke, King Qian ascended the platform to oversee the proceedings and await the arrival of the Tide God. However, the ten thousand elite archers selected from the region were hindered by the narrow mountain paths of Baoshi Hill and arrived in scattered groups.

King Qian mounted his horse and swiftly rode to the foot of Baoshi Hill. From there, he observed that the southern half of the hill had a crack. Seating himself at the crack, he placed his feet firmly on both sides and pushed with all his might, causing the hill to split open and reveal a wide path. The entire contingent of archers passed through this newly opened route and arrived at the riverside without further delay. From then on, this place was known as "Dengkai (Kicking Open by Foot) Ridge," and King Qian's gigantic footprints were said to be deeply imprinted on the rock face.

Returning to the riverside, King Qian once again ascended the grand platform. By now, the ten thousand archers had formed their ranks, with bows drawn and arrows aimed at the river. The people along the Qiantang River, who had suffered from the flooding tides, eagerly gathered to watch and cheer on King Qian's attempt to shoot the Tide God. The riverbanks were packed with spectators for miles around.

As darkness fell and the winds howled, King Qian's banners fluttered in the breeze. Facing the oncoming tidal wave, King Qian shouted defiantly, "Unworthy Tide God, who destroys my fields and harms my people, retreat yourself at once!"

The people on the banks and the archers cheered at the king's bold words, their voices echoing like thunder. Suddenly, a white line appeared in the distance on the surface of the river, rolling rapidly and growing larger and more ferocious by the moment. Everyone watched in tense anticipation as the wave approached. King Qian reassured the crowd, "Do not panic! Draw your bows and ready your arrows." With these words, he unstrung his own bow crafted from purple sandalwood and prepared a steel arrow, pulling the bowstring taut.

As the wave turned into a towering torrent and surged towards the grand platform, King Qian let out a mighty shout and commanded, "Release the arrows!" With that command, he let loose his own arrow with a swift "swish".

At that moment, ten thousand archers unleashed their arrows, all aimed at the crest of the wave. The spectators cheered and applauded as iron arrows were shot, diverting the tide that had originally been heading towards the riverbank. It indeed changed course and flowed towards Dongtou (now Xixing in Binjiang), never to return for the next three days. Seizing this opportunity, the workers redoubled their efforts, and finally, the seawall was completed.

In addition to building the seawall, King Qian also ordered the transportation of giant stones to serve as the foundation for the construction of a city gate at the intersection of today's Houchao (Wait for the Tide) Road and Jiangcheng Road. This gate, known as the Bamboo Cart Gate at the time, was later renamed the Houchao Gate.

From then on, Hangzhou was no longer subjected to the invasion of river tides, and the rivers and canals were no longer infiltrated by brackish seawater. Over time, the salty land gradually became less saline, and more suitable for farming. In commemoration of King Qian's achievements, the people named the river embankment where King Qian was located "Qianwang Embankment" and the place where King Qian shot the tides "Tiezhuang Bank".