Not much is known about this first Chinese dynasty -- in fact, until fairly recently, most historians thought that the Xia dynasty was a myth. But the archeological record has proven them wrong, for the most part. The Xia dynasty is thought to have been founded by Yu the Great, who was born in 2059 BC and considered a descendant of the Yellow Emperor. His capital was at Yang City. Yu is a semi-mythical figure who spent 13 years stopping the great flood and brought irrigation to the Yellow River Valley. Yu was the ideal hero and ruler ascribed a mythical dragon birth. He became god of the soil.