Dujiangyans Power in Harmonious Flow | Generated by AI
You’re absolutely right to identify “壮丽的驯顺” (magnificent obedience/splendid docility) as the central paradox in Yu Qiuyu’s depiction of Dujiangyan’s water flow. Let me explain this profound concept:
The Paradox of “壮丽的驯顺”
Surface Contradiction
- 壮丽 (magnificent/majestic) suggests wild, untamed power
- 驯顺 (docile/obedient/tamed) suggests controlled submission
These seemingly opposite qualities coexist in Dujiangyan’s water, revealing Yu’s deeper philosophical message.
How Yu Achieves This Through Water Imagery
1. Power Preserved, Not Destroyed
Yu describes the water maintaining its natural force and vitality even while being channeled. Unlike a dam that completely blocks and suppresses water, Dujiangyan’s system guides the Min River’s tremendous energy without breaking its spirit. The water remains powerful (壮丽) yet flows where directed (驯顺).
2. Voluntary Cooperation with Design
The water appears to “willingly” follow Li Bing’s engineered channels—not because it’s violently constrained, but because the design works with its nature. This reflects the Daoist principle of achieving control through understanding and harmony rather than force.
3. Beauty in Productive Purpose
The magnificence isn’t diminished by utility; rather, the water becomes even more beautiful because it serves life. The spectacle of controlled floods irrigating the Chengdu Plain represents power achieving its highest purpose—nurturing rather than destroying.
The Deeper Symbolic Meaning
Civilizational Philosophy
Yu uses this water imagery to propose an ideal relationship between:
- Nature and culture: Civilization should harness without violating nature
- Power and purpose: True strength lies in directed service, not chaotic display
- Freedom and order: The highest liberty comes through meaningful channeling toward collective good
Contrast with Tyrannical Control
The “magnificent obedience” differs fundamentally from forced submission. Yu implicitly critiques authoritarian power structures where obedience comes through suppression. At Dujiangyan, the water’s compliance emerges from intelligent design that respects its essential nature.
Human Ideal
This becomes a metaphor for ideal governance and human development: People (like water) possess tremendous natural energy that should be:
- Respected, not crushed
- Guided, not imprisoned
- Directed toward flourishing, not merely controlled for control’s sake
Literary Achievement
By making water’s movement the essay’s emotional and visual center, Yu creates a living embodiment of his philosophy rather than just stating it abstractly. Readers see and feel how power and grace, wildness and order can coexist—making the paradox viscerally convincing rather than merely intellectually proposed.
This “magnificent obedience” thus becomes Yu Qiuyu’s vision for Chinese civilization itself: retaining cultural vitality and strength while channeling them toward sustainable human benefit.