Kuafu (夸父) is a giant in Chinese mythology who wished to capture the Sun. He was a grandson of Houtu.

One day, Kuafu decided to chase and catch the Sun. He followed the Sun from the East to the West, draining the Yellow River and the Wei River (all rivers and lakes crossing his path) to quench his burning thirst. However, the big rivers were also unable to quench his thirst, and as he searched for more water, he eventually died of dehydration.

In modern Chinese usage, the story of Kuafu chasing the Sun (夸父追日) is used to describe a person who is brave, overly optimistic, overestimating one's own abilities, and willing to overcome all the obstacles to reach the goal, but cannot achieve it.