Duyu (, meaning cuckoo) was a legendary ruler of the ancient Kingdom of Shu in China. Accounts of his life are essentially mythological in nature, but some scholars believe that he existed as a person or as representation of a dynasty. He was the fourth ruler of Shu, and was said to have ruled Shu for over a hundred years.
Duyu's successor was Bieling (emperor name: Kaiming dynasty), Duyu having Abdication the throne either in shame having Bieling or in recognition of Bieling's worthiness having tamed the floods. Alternatively, Bieling may have usurped the throne which led to Duyu's transformation into a cuckoo.
In some versions, Duyu fought an evil Chinese dragon of Minjiang River a girl prisoner. Having freed the girl and tamed the river, Duyu married the girl (Long Mei). In this story, Duyu was imprisoned by one of his ministers who wanted Long Mei for himself. Duyu then in prison where he transformed into a cuckoo. He then returned to his palace where his wife also became a bird.
Despite the mythical elements of his biography, he is generally accepted by Chinese as well as some Western scholars as having either existed or as representative of a dynasty.
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