China names its Mars rover Zhu Rong after mythical god of war
- Legendary character had the face of man, body of a beast and rode on two dragons
- Zhu Rong is ‘revered as the earliest god of fire in traditional Chinese culture, symbolising the use of fire to illuminate the earth and bring light’, space administration says
In Chinese legend Zhu Rong was a formidable character who had the face of man, body of a beast and rode on two dragons. He brought fire from heaven to the world and in wars hurled it at his enemies. In ancient China, his name was once used as the title for the minister of defence.
In one of the many battles he fought, Zhu Rong ran into Gong Gong, the lord of water. Gong Gong was breaking rules and Zhu Rong had received an order from heaven to get rid of him. A massive war broke out, which Zhu Rong won.
But the war destroyed one of the pillars preserving balance and stability in the universe. After the war, natural disasters and chaos sent the human world into complete darkness.
“Zhu Rong is revered as the earliest god of fire in traditional Chinese culture, symbolising the use of fire to illuminate the earth and bring light,” the space administration said in a statement on Saturday.
“The first Mars rover was named Zhu Rong, and it means to ignite the fire for interstellar exploration in our country, and guide mankind to continue exploration and self-transcendence in the vast starry sky.”
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In an online survey conducted by China’s space authorities, the name Zhu Rong received nearly 20 per cent more of the 3 million votes cast than Hongyi, the name favoured by many space scientists in China.
Hongyi, a word from the Analects – a book of Confucius’ quotes – means having an open and strong mind.
“China’s Mars exploration has just started, with heavy responsibility and a long course ahead,” said a Beijing-based space scientist who was surprised by the final outcome.
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Enthusiasm for the name Zhu Rong reflects the tension building between China and US both on Earth and in space.
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For many people, Zhu Rong seemed to be a well suited name.
“Zhu means forever, rong stands for light,” said Robin Li, tech guru and CEO of Chinese search engine giant Baidu, on his social media account last July. Li said he hoped the Lord of Fire would “bring fire and light to the land and people forever”.
Last month, a Chinese satellite disintegrated about a week after a similar accident destroyed a US satellite. There were no official explanations. Before these incidents, Beijing and Washington pointed the finger at each other for developing anti-satellite technologies.
In deeper space – such as the moon, Mars or beyond – competition remains but there could be more room for cooperation between China and the US, according to some space experts.
The Chinese and American space authorities, for instance, shared some data from their Mars missions earlier this year, according to Nasa.
