Description:
The “Shan Hai Jing” (Classic of Mountains and Seas) is an ancient text from the pre-Qin period and is considered the oldest geographical book rich in myths and legends. It primarily records ancient geography, natural resources, mythology, witchcraft, and religion, as well as including content on ancient history, medicine, customs, and various ethnic groups.
The “Shan Hai Jing” consists of 18 chapters, containing around 31,000 characters. It includes 5 chapters on the Classic of the Mountains, 4 chapters on the Classic of Regions Beyond the Seas, 5 chapters on the Classic of Regions Within the Seas, and 4 chapters on the Classic of the Great Wilderness. In the Book of Han: Arts and Literature, it is listed as 13 chapters, excluding the Classic of the Great Wilderness and the Classic of Regions Within the Seas. The entire text is organized into three groups: the first group consists of the 5 chapters of the Classic of the Mountains and the 4 chapters of the Classic of Regions Beyond the Seas; the second group contains the 4 chapters of the Classic of Regions Within the Seas; and the third group comprises the 5 chapters of the Classic of the Great Wilderness along with 1 chapter of the Classic of Regions Within the Seas at the end of the book. Each group is structured with clear connections between chapters, organized in a way that flows smoothly from one to the next.
The first group, the 5 chapters of the Classic of the Mountains, is divided by geographical direction: South, West, North, East, and Central. Each chapter is further divided into several sections, with each section connected by related sentences, making the relationship between chapters and sections very clear. The book records these matters according to regions rather than chronology, with most events starting in the South, then moving West, North, and finally reaching the central part of the continent (the Nine Provinces). The Nine Provinces are surrounded by the Eastern, Western, Southern, and Northern Seas.
Ancient China regarded the “Shan Hai Jing” as a historical text, and it has been an essential reference for historians throughout various dynasties. Due to its ancient origins, even Sima Qian, when writing the Records of the Grand Historian, remarked: “Regarding the Chronicle of Yu and the strange creatures mentioned in the Shan Hai Jing, I dare not speak of them.” The text is valuable for research in ancient history, geography, culture, foreign relations, folklore, and mythology.
Genres: fantasy, historical, supernatural, xuanhuan, adventure
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