Legend has it that the first "Prison Code" in our country was formulated by Gao Tao. He carved the "Prison Code" on the bark of a tree and presented it to Dayu. After reading it, Yu thought it was very good, so he asked Gao Tao to Tao implementation.
"Prison Code" summarizes that those who kill their companions must obey the law and not use punishment.
It is recorded in "Lunheng·Shiying" of the Eastern Han Dynasty that pottery statues of Gao and decorations of Xiechi were enshrined in the yamen of the Han Dynasty. Later, it was said that he was the "God of Prison" in mythology.
Gaotao was also the founder of the ancient Liu'an Kingdom, the ancestor of the king of Xu Kingdom, and one of the leaders of the ancient Dongyi tribe. The king of Liao State may also be a descendant of Gaotao. Shishi Village, Ganting Town, Hongdong County, is also known as Gaotao Village. It is rare to name the village with Gaotao's official title and name at the same time.
"Gao Tao died, and he was buried in Liu. Yu sealed his youngest son in Liu to worship him." ("Emperor Century") "Yao, sealed him in Gao, died in Gao." ("The Imperial Encyclopedia of Four Subjects") Therefore, Liu'an was called Gaocheng in ancient times. Gaotao's Tomb is included in the "Dictionary of Chinese Scenic Spots". The fiefdoms of Gaotao were Ying and Liu, located in the area of ??today's Liu'an, Yingshan, Jinzhai and Huoshan. Descendants of Gao Tao gather in the fiefdoms of Shucheng, Qianshan, Lujiang, Chaoxian, Huoqiu, Huaiyuan, Lingbi, Si County, Fengtai and Bo counties, and are widely distributed throughout the country. There are currently 2000 Gao surnames in Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province. Multi-family.
The descendants of Gaocheng, the place where Gaotao's heroic spirit rests, have built ancient Gaocheng into a modern city and rebuilt Gaotao's tomb. We hope that the Gao Tao Cemetery will be completed soon. The tall Gao Tao stone statue will tower into the sky and stand on the bank of the "Tianhe". It will become an iconic cultural facility that reflects the cultural taste of Xingao City and show the world the beauty of Gao Tao culture in western Anhui. rainbow!
The laws created by Gaotao are very logical, such as "Five Codes and Five Punishments", "Five Punishments and Five Uses", "Five Punishments with Service, Five Service with Three Obligations, Five Levels with Modes, Five Degrees with Three Residences" etc.; and the words should be concise and concise, such as "faint, ink, thief, kill" etc. The so-called good law must not only have good content, but also good logic; in the legislative process, we must pay attention to the internal logic and emphasize its generality, so that the law is sparse but not missing, simple and easy to implement. This is exactly how Gao Tao succeeded in law. What Gao Tao said had lofty intentions, what Gao Tao did was upright and upright, and his words and deeds were highly unified, so the people were convinced. He was once appointed by Shun as the "regulator" in charge of criminal law, and he was famous for his integrity. He is regarded as the originator of Chinese justice. When Shun appointed Yu as Sikong to control floods, Yu refused and recommended Ji, Qi and Gaotao for this position. But Shun still gave this position to Yu. Shun said to Gao Tao: "Gao Tao, barbarians are invading China and bad guys are doing evil. You should serve as a judicial officer. The execution must be convincing. The crime of exile is divided into different levels, and the distance is different. Only justice and clear consent can win over the people. Gao Tao became the governor of Emperor Yao and was given the surname Ying. Among his descendants, those with the official surname were called the Li family, which gradually evolved into the Li family. Laozi, the founder of Taoism, called himself Li.
It is said that Gaotao also used a unicorn called Xie Zhi to break out of prison. Haechi resembles a sheep, but only has one horn. It is said that it is very spiritual and has the ability to distinguish between right and wrong and identify criminals. When Gaotao's verdict was in doubt, he would release this magical animal. If the person was guilty, Xie Ying would oppose it, but not if he was not guilty. History books say that Gaotao was Dali, and there was no torture or unjust imprisonment in the world. Those despicable villains were very afraid and fled one after another, so that the world would be peaceful. Emperor Shun admired Gaotao's achievements very much, and his descendants were granted titles in Liu, Ying and other countries. Most of the major political measures during the Yao, Shun, and Yu periods were planned by Gao Tao. The glorious ideas and great achievements embodied in all the activities of Gaotao in various fields such as politics, economy, and culture formed the cultural system of ancient China, namely Gaotao culture. Gaotao culture dominated the development of Chinese national culture, promoted the progress of social civilization, and laid the foundation for the emergence of the country.
The main content of Gaotao culture is: the promotion of the five religions. The five teachings are father's righteousness, mother's kindness, brothers and friends, brother's respect (respect), and son's filial piety. Set five rituals. The five rites are good, bad, guest, military, and good. Auspicious rites are sacrificial rites, and unfavorable rites are funeral rites. Guest rites are gifts of engagement between tribes and tribal alliances, tribes and tribes, and with friendly tribes outside the alliance. Military rites are used to organize clans and bind the masses into an army. The rites are for food, drink, and rites for men and women. Create five punishments.
"When Emperor Yu was established, he recommended Gao Tao and gave him the power." Gao Tao took charge of the government affairs and planned a series of comprehensive reform plans related to social systems, customs, culture, etc.: promoting the "Five Religions", establishing the "Five Rites", establishing the "Five Services", creating the "Five Punishments", and pro-" "Nine Tribes" and establish "Nine Virtues". All these major measures were put into practice, establishing a normal social order, strengthening the connections and harmony between tribes and tribes, and laying the foundation for the emergence of the country.
Gao Tao's thoughts were later inherited and carried forward by Confucius, who founded Confucian theory and became the basic theory of governance for the entire feudal dynasty of China. Gaotao worked as a farmer and made great contributions to the development of agricultural production. . "Historical Records of the Yin Dynasty" quoted "Tang Hao" and said: "In ancient times, Yu and Gaotao worked hard outside for a long time, and their contributions were beneficial to the people, and the people were safe." The river is in the east, Ji is in the north, river is in the west, and Huai is in the south. The four rivers have been built, and all the people can live there. Gao Tao assisted Yu in controlling the floods, "ordering the people to obey Yu. If it is not as good as he said, the punishment would be obeyed." "Using legal means to ensure the successful completion of the water control project. A grand ceremony was held in Tushan, Huaiyuan to celebrate the flood control: "The princes will be gathered in Tushan, holding jade and silk from all countries. "The ancestors of Huaiyi were not only more advanced than the Central Plains in agriculture, but also took the lead in handicrafts such as pottery, production tool manufacturing, and metal smelting technology. Thanks to Gao Tao's clever planning and vigorous assistance, The era of Yao, Shun and Yu saw prosperity and entered the "early state stage".
Then the Xia Dynasty came into being, which originated from the farming and ritual culture of Dongyi. Covering many countries and regions in Asia. The long drum made by Gao Tao is named "Gao Drum" after himself. There is still a high-leg drum and a small waist drum in Korea. Korea is also a type of Dongyi. Therefore, there is also this kind of Gao drum. Liu Zhengguo, a researcher at the Anhui Provincial Art Institute, finally solved the ancient mystery of Liu Zhengguo's oblique blowing after years of research and demonstration. The technique was approved as a patent by the state. In the spring of 2001, Liu Zhengguo was invited to be a guest soloist at the "Echoes of Eight Thousand Years" folk wind concert held in the Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall. The lost ancient Gaotao armor reappeared in Daya Hall for the first time.