Background & setting
Fuxi is a culture hero, often placed among the Three Sovereigns in later lists. The Appended Statements of the Book of Changes calls him Baoxi and credits him with the eight trigrams. This is an account of the origins of knowledge, distinct from stories pairing him with Nüwa.
The story
Fuxi looks upward at heavenly patterns and downward at the forms of the earth. He studies the markings of birds and beasts, and finds examples both in his own body and in things at a distance. From these observations he makes eight three-line figures, allowing relationships and changes to be expressed in a compact form.
The same passage associates this civilizing figure with knotted nets for hunting and fishing. Symbolic thought and practical skill belong together: people learn to notice patterns and to work with their surroundings. Later images give Fuxi measuring tools or place him beside Nüwa, extending this interest in order into visual art.
How to read it
The central action is attentive observation. The story honors the ability to see relationships, not merely possession of a magical diagram.
Where this telling comes from
Based on Book of Changes, Appended Statements II, the passage beginning with Baoxi’s rule.
- Book of Changes: Appended Statements II ↗
Fuxi observes heaven, earth, animals and the human body before making the eight trigrams.
An original introductory retelling · Sources consulted October 10, 2026.