Nu Wa is referred to in many books of songs and there are many stories about her. The image depicts one story which circulated around 179-122 BC.

Long ago, the Water God, Gong Gong, tried to overthrow the Fire God, Zhu Rong. When Gong Gong failed, he became angry and rammed Buzhou mountain with his head. The mountain, which supported the heavens, crumbled. This disaster tore a hole in the sky and caused the ends of the earth to give way. As a result, the sky was no longer able to cover everything and the Earth was no longer able to support itself.

Fire burned wild, and waters flooded the land. Fierce beasts ate common people, and ferocious birds attacked the old and the weak. So, Nu Wa melted Five coloured stones to mend the skies. She also cut off the feet and legs of the Great Turtle to create four poles to support the sky. She killed the Black Dragon and gathered ash to stop the flood.

However, she was unable to fully correct the tilted sky, that is said to explain the phenomenon that the sun, moon, and stars move towards the northwest, and that rivers in China flow southeast into the Pacific Ocean.

Like her husband, Fu Xi, the lower part of her body is often portrayed as that of a dragon or snake.