| The Yellow River is in China. I heard the story many times and did some more investigation.
For one thing that river is known as "China's Sorrow" a literally millions upon millions of people have been killed in its valley during huge floods. The river is both naturally and artificially raised up in its lower bed from siltation and the construction of protection levees over thousands of years. This precarious situation encourages devestating floods.
The Dragon Gate (apparently there are many such in China) is a series of rapids in the upper river where carp come from the estuaries and move upriver in spring to spawn.
Approximately 2000 years ago Chinese Emperor Liu Xiu was at The Dragon Gate on the Yellow River and saw a red carp jump over the falls. He had his men catch and cook the carp for him. Upon eating the fish he became more vigorous, healthier and stronger. The dish become popular and is still prepared today. The carp is boiled and presented, head up, upon a bed of vegetables arranged to model The Dragon Gate. The cooking makes the carp red and it tastes of sweet and sour. Apparently carp from the Yellow River are particularly tasty (I never ate a carp I thought was "tasty").
The annual appearance at the gate by carps from downriver and thier powerful climb upriver and over the Dragon Gate symbolizes strength and perseverance. Only some of the carp make it over, only the strongest, and as they clear the gate they turn into flying dragons.
I find this story particularly captivating and inspirational. Much of my life is spent on rivers, especially large ones like The Brazos and The Trinity and I identify strongly.
Brett
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Brett
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