Introduction

On January 12, 1270, ¹ in the reign of Khubilai (1215–1294; r. 1260–1294), khan of the Mongols and the ruler of northern China, an imperial ritual took place at the new political center of the empire, Dadu 大都,or Grand Capital (present-day Beijing). ² The ceremony was requested by the khan’s principal consort, Chabi, and consisted of presenting offerings to the river god on the banks of the Golden Water River (Jinshui he 金水河) running though the west of the city. ³ An altar was set up, the crowd assembled, and then, out of nowhere, a snake, a species that hibernates in winter, appeared in the river. This abnormal occurrence astonished everyone at the ceremony, including the imperial delegate. In response, he burned incense, presented a plate and made a kowtow to invite the snake to approach. The snake apparently understood the gesture, swam toward the crowd, landed on the plate, and turned its head around nodding, as if acknowledging the veneration. After roughly two hours, the snake departed. The next day, a similar manifestation occurred, but this time it was a turtle, another species that is supposed to be in hibernation. The turtle, too, was treated with great respect. Just like the snake, it appeared to enjoy the ritual and lingered around the site for a long while before disappearing into the water.