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Yu Dao

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"Did you know that Yu Dao is the oldest of all the colonies? Many of the Fire Nation families here immigrated over a hundred years ago, when Yu Dao was just a tiny village at the bottom of a valley. Together with the Earth Kingdom people who were already here, they built all this."
— Fire Lord Zuko on Yu Dao's history as the Fire Nation first colony.[1]

Yu Dao is a former Fire Nation colony located in the western Earth Kingdom. It was the scene of great tension during the decolonization efforts that followed the Hundred Year War due to the difficulty involved in handling the removal of Fire Nation colonials, many of whom had lived in the town for generations. The mayor of the town at the end of the war was Morishita.[1] Along with other Fire Nation colonies throughout the Earth Kingdom, Yu Dao became part of the United Republic of Nations after the end of the war.[3]

History

Yu Dao was originally a poor backwater village.[1] Some time before 296 BG, the settlement was visited by Rangi, the bodyguard of Yun, the latter having been falsely identified as successor to Avatar Kuruk.[4] Centuries later, when Fire Lord Sozin began his colonization of the western Earth Kingdom, Yu Dao was the first of the Fire Nation colonies to be established, and ordinary Fire Nation families were moved to the area as colonists.

Yu Dao city streets

Together with the Earth Kingdom civilians already living in the area, the Fire Nation settlers created a thriving metalworking industry[5] which evolved into one of the best in the world. The tiny village grew into a thriving, cosmopolitan city. Through the unique blending of Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation culture, Yu Dao became one of the wealthiest cities in the world. According to Fire Lord Zuko, the colony of Yu Dao made the finest metal of any nation.[1]

In 100 AG, at the end of the Hundred Year War, Earth King Kuei and Fire Lord Zuko agreed to start the Harmony Restoration Movement, aimed at the removal of all Fire Nation colonies from Earth Kingdom territory. However, Yu Dao posed a particular problem due to its age, as many families had lived in the city for over one hundred years and had put down deep roots in the area. Marriage between Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation citizens was common, causing Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation citizens to feel a kinship toward one another beyond their nationality. This led to conflict among Avatar Aang, Fire Lord Zuko, and Earth King Kuei.[1]

This conflict escalated in 101 AG. The Earth Kingdom Army and the Freedom Fighters attempted to forcefully remove the Fire Nation colonists from Yu Dao. A group of Yu Dao residents had formed the Yu Dao Resistance, however, and resisted this plan. Their situation was hopeless at first, but soon after Fire Lord Zuko arrived with his troops in order to protect the city. Mediating talks quickly broke down, whereupon the opposing forces began the battle for Yu Dao. Eventually, Avatar Aang entered the Avatar State to separate the colony from the surrounding lands and ended the battle. Afterward, the involved parties agreed to resume negotiations.[6] After intensive talks,[7] it was decided to let the people of Yu Dao elect a new coalition government in 102 AG, representing both Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation citizens.[2] Eventually, the United Republic of Nations was created, which Yu Dao became a part of.[3]

Layout and description

Yu Dao was located in a wide, flat valley which was bounded by rocky terrain on all sides. The city was enclosed by a sandstone wall with one opening which served as the gateway to the city. Yu Dao's streets were lined by predominantly low rise buildings which were built in a unique style that combined Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation architecture. The city was very compacted as the surrounding terrain limited Yu Dao's building space.

A wide, central pathway ran from Yu Dao's gate to the back of the city. The avenue served as the main thoroughfare of the metropolis, and many smaller streets branched off of it. There was also a canal that ran through the city.

Businesses included: the Iron Tavern,[5] the Green Flame Inn, the Green Blaze Inn, Old Chen's Blacksmith Shop, Yu Dao Grocery store, Tasty Hotpot Restaurant, and the Sweet Aroma Teahouse. Other buildings included the Morishita home, a city concert hall,[8] and a Sparrowkeet Air facility.[5] The Yu Dao Bounty Hunter's Guild was also headquartered in the city.[9]

Culture

Yu Dao smithy

Unlike most Fire Nation colonies, Yu Dao advocated a form of public equality, allowing Earth Kingdom citizens to live among Fire Nation citizens freely without any form of oppression; this appeared to be effective at a very high level, as earthbenders were able to freely practice their bending alongside firebenders without any fear of persecution. This extended to family life as well, as marriage between Fire Nation immigrants and Earth Kingdom natives was not uncommon.

Yu Dao's unique blend of Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom architecture gave it a distinct feel, as the architecture of the city represented a merging of both nations' styles of building. Despite the appearance of public equality, the Earth Kingdom citizens generally occupied a second-class position in the city's society compared to Fire Nation citizens; however, this was not universally the case, as the Fire Nation mayor's wife, Mrs. Morishita, was an earthbender, as was her daughter. Fire Lord Zuko observed that even so, the people were better off than they had been before the colony's foundation.[1]

Notable figures

Trivia

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  • Yu Dao was heavily based on Qingdao, a city in China that was a German colony from 1898 to 1918.[10]
    • Gurihiru also took references from urban China and Japan for the design of Yu Dao's architecture.[11]
  • The town's name was first conceived in Chinese and later translated into English. Yang chose the two characters that compose the name, 玉島, for two reasons: 玉, meaning "jade", calls to mind the color green, which "explicitly [ties] the city to its Earth Kingdom roots", while 島, meaning "island", comes from the second character of Qingdao, which, as mentioned above, was a large influence on the creation of Yu Dao.[11]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 DiMartino, Michael Dante; Konietzko, Bryan; Yang, Gene Luen (writer), Sasaki of Gurihiru (penciling, inking), Kawano of Gurihiru (colorist), Heisler, Michael; Comicraft (letterer). The Promise Part One (January 25, 2012), Dark Horse Comics.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 DiMartino, Michael Dante; Konietzko, Bryan; Yang, Gene Luen (writer), Sasaki of Gurihiru (penciling, inking), Kawano of Gurihiru (colorist), Heisler, Michael; Comicraft (letterer). The Rift Part One (March 5, 2014), Dark Horse Comics.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 DiMartino, Michael Dante, Konietzko, Bryan (writers) & Dos Santos, Joaquim, Ryu, Ki Hyun (directors). (April 14, 2012). "Welcome to Republic City". The Legend of Korra. Book One: Air. Episode 1. Nickelodeon.
  4. ↑ Yee, F. C. (author), DiMartino, Michael Dante (author). (July 16, 2019). Chapter Two, "Nine Years Later". The Rise of Kyoshi. Amulet Books.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game. Wan Shi Tong's Adventure Guide, Version 1.0, 2022, p. 155.
  6. ↑ DiMartino, Michael Dante; Konietzko, Bryan; Yang, Gene Luen (writer), Sasaki of Gurihiru (penciling, inking), Kawano of Gurihiru (colorist), Heisler, Michael; Comicraft (letterer). The Promise Part Three (September 26, 2012), Dark Horse Comics.
  7. ↑ DiMartino, Michael Dante; Konietzko, Bryan; Yang, Gene Luen (writer), Sasaki of Gurihiru (penciling, inking), Kawano of Gurihiru (colorist), Heisler, Michael; Comicraft (letterer). The Search Part One (March 20, 2013), Dark Horse Comics.
  8. ↑ Hicks, Faith Erin (writer), Wartman, Peter (artist), Matera, Adele (colorist). Toph Beifong's Metalbending Academy (February 16, 2021), Dark Horse Comics.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game. Wan Shi Tong's Adventure Guide, Version 1.0, 2022, p. 150.
  10. ↑ GeneYang.com "A:TLA Behind the Scenes"
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 DiMartino, Michael Dante; Konietzko, Bryan; Yang, Gene Luen (writer), Sasaki of Gurihiru (penciling, inking), Kawano of Gurihiru (colorist), Heisler, Michael; Comicraft (letterer). The Promise Library Edition (February 20, 2013), Dark Horse Comics.

See also