There are several different myths regarding her original purpose and intent, yet it is generally accepted that she represents the Goddess Peak (Shennu Feng) of Wu Mountain, which serves as the eastern gateway to the Three Gorges on the Yangtze River. Yaoji resided in the Heavenly Palace but grew bored with her existence. One day, she descended to Earth accompanied by her entourage of Fairies. Together, they tamed and shaped the gorge, giving rise to the formation of mountains. As their work neared completion, Yaoji discovered her profound affection for the Wushan Peaks. She made the decision to establish a permanent residence there, alongside her Fairy entourage. Eventually, she herself transformed into one of the peaks, known as Goddess Mountain. It is believed that the remaining peaks may also be transformed by Fairies.
Daughter of Yan Emperor Yaoji first appeared in the
Classic of Mountains and Seas, which states: "To the east, two hundred miles away, there is a mountain called Guyao. The emperor's daughter died there, and her name was Nüshi. She transformed into
Yao Grass, with leaves that gradually grow, yellow flowers, and fruits like the autumn willow. When consumed, it captivates and charms people". In this account, Yaoji is the third daughter of Yan Emperor (Chidi) and the sister of
Jingwei. Unfortunately, she dies before reaching the age of marriage. Her body is buried on
Wushan Mountain, while her soul ascends to Guyao Mountain where it transforms into Yao Grass. Later, the King of Heaven takes pity on her and prevents her from becoming a lonely ghost by arranging her presence on Wushan Mountain. In this manner, she ultimately attains the status of a goddess. Her maids, one by one, also undergo transformation, becoming the renowned twelve peaks of Wushan.
Daughter of the Queen Mother of the West The legend of Yaoji aiding
Yu the Great in controlling flooding has long been passed down as a folktale. In the later periods of the
Tang dynasty and the
Five Dynasties, Taoist
Du Guangting utilized this legend to craft the character of Yunhua, the daughter of the
Queen Mother of the West. In his work
Yongcheng Jixianlu, the identity of Yaoji underwent a complete transformation: she was depicted as the youngest daughter among the Queen Mother's 23 daughters, and her name was Yunhua. After learning divine magic from the Goddess of Three Primes, Yaoji was granted the title of Fairy Yunhua, with the responsibility of guiding the fairy boys and girls. However, she couldn't bear the tranquility of life in the heavenly palace. One day, she embarked on a journey to the East Sea accompanied by her retinue. As she arrived at the mist-covered Wushan Mountains, she witnessed dragons tormenting the people. Filled with anger, she resolved to rid the people of this evil. She fought and defeated the dragons, but their lifeless bodies transformed into enormous mountains, obstructing the flow of the
Yangtze River. The fields and towns were submerged, and the region that is now
Sichuan became an expansive sea. To address the floodwaters, Yu traveled from the
Yellow River to the Yangtze River. He attempted to carve open the mountains to divert the water, but the task was immense, surpassing the capabilities of any human. It was then that Yaoji summoned her six loyal followers, who utilized their divine magic to create a passage through the Three Gorges, allowing the floodwater to flow towards the East Sea. Upon discovering that it was Yaoji who aided him, Yu ascended to the summit of Wushan Mountains to convey his gratitude. To his surprise, Yaoji materialized before him and presented him with a book bound in yellow brocade that contained knowledge on water control. ==In literature and poetry==