《山海經》Vol. 6

Book 6 of the Classic of Mountains and Seas (partially overlapping with Book 7) concludes here. This section presents Guo Pu's annotated version, recording marvelous sightings from the southern regions beyond the seas.

Between heaven and earth, the four directions and vertical dimensions form what we call the "six harmonies." Within the Four Seas, the sun and moon shine upon lands where stars traverse the skies, seasons alternate in cycles governed by the Year Star (Jupiter) which dictates temporal order. Here, divine spirits give birth to all manner of extraordinary creatures, each with distinct forms and lifespans—mysteries only sages who comprehend the Dao can truly fathom.

Documented from the southwestern to southeastern corners beyond the seas: The Land of Knotted Chests lies southwest, where people have protruding sternums resembling throat knots. South Mountain stands southeast, where insects are called serpents, yet serpents are named fish (showing regional naming variations). Here dwell the Wing-to-Wing Birds, creatures of azure and crimson that must fly with wings pressed together.

The Feathered People's Kingdom occupies the southeast, where long-headed inhabitants grow plumage (capable of limited flight like immortals, and curiously, they're oviparous). Sixteen divine beings link arms here, governing the night for the Celestial Emperor (vanishing by day, emerging at dusk). Eastward by the Blue River's western bank resides the Square Bird with human face and single leg.

Southward lies the Land of Roar-Heads, where people bear human faces, avian beaks and wings, excelling at fishing (legend tells of Huandou, Minister Yao's official who drowned after committing crimes; moved by pity, Yao permitted his descendants to dwell in the South Sea performing sacrifices). Further south, the Fire-Spitting Kingdom's black-furred bestial inhabitants exhale flames (resembling dark macaques).

(Note: "Huandou" references ancient mythology; the "Year Star" reflects traditional calendrical astronomy; creatures like the Wing-to-Wing Birds belong to the Classic's fantastical bestiary. Guo Pu, the Eastern Jin dynasty's eminent scholar, composed these seminal commentaries.)

North of the Land of Fire-Haters, by the banks of the Red River, grow three extraordinary trees whose leaves resemble cypress but bear pearl-like fruits. Another account describes these trees as having star-shaped, broom-like branches radiating outward.

East of the Red River lies the Sanmiao Kingdom, where people always live in tightly-knit groups. Legend says when Emperor Yao sought to abdicate in favor of Shun, the Sanmiao chieftain opposed the succession and was consequently executed by Emperor Shun. The surviving Sanmiao people then fled southward to establish this coastal kingdom, which is also called the "Land of Three Hairs."

Further east is the Zhì Kingdom (pronounced similarly to "zhi" or "ti"), whose yellow-skinned inhabitants excel at hunting snakes with bows and arrows. The Classic of the Great Wilderness records that this land spontaneously produces the five grains, and its people possess ready-made clothing. Some sources place the Zhì Kingdom east of the Land of Three Hairs.

The Perforated-Chest Kingdom lies further eastward, where every person bears a hole through their torso. The Book of Master Shi notes that among the four barbarian tribes attracted by the Yellow Emperor's virtuous governance (De), some had chest perforations, others deep-set eyes or elongated arms. The Record of Marvels states these chest-pierced people appear naturally formed when unclothed. Alternate accounts position this kingdom east of Zhì.

Eastward stands the Cross-Legged Kingdom, whose inhabitants have crisscrossed shinbones (ancients called this "carved-foreheads and interlocking-toes"). Some texts describe them walking with necks permanently twisted sideways, possibly located east of the Perforated-Chest land.

The Immortal Folk dwell in the eastern regions, their dark-skinned people living eternally without death. Legends speak of Round Hill Mountain where grows the Immortality Tree—consuming its fruit grants longevity—and a crimson spring whose waters prevent aging. Another tradition places this tribe east of the Perforated-Chest Kingdom.

The Forked-Tongue Kingdom lies eastward, where all inhabitants possess bifurcated tongues (also called "branch-tongues"). Records situate them east of the Immortal Folk.

The Kunlun Ruins stand in the east—this sacred mountain's foundation forms a perfect square ("ruins" referring to the mountain base). Alternate sources place Kunlun Ruins east of the Forked-Tongue Kingdom, similarly square-based. Legends tell how the archer Houyi battled the Chisel-Tooth monster (whose teeth resembled five-to-six-foot-long chisels) at the Wilderness of Longevity, finally slaying the creature with arrows east of Kunlun. During their combat, Houyi wielded his bow while Chisel-Tooth fought with a shield.

The Three-Headed Kingdom lies eastward, where each person bears three heads upon a single body. Some accounts position them east of Chisel-Tooth's territory.

Finally, the Zhourao Kingdom stands in the east—a land of diminutive people (about three feet tall) who nevertheless wear proper hats and robes. They typically dwell in mountain caves.

The Classic of Mountains and Seas records several extraordinary kingdoms and legends. The Kingdom of Jiaoyao (legendary land of dwarves) lies east of the Three-Headed Kingdom, where people stand only three chi tall (some accounts say one chi five cun), making them the shortest race in the world.

East of Jiaoyao lies the Long-Armed Kingdom, whose inhabitants excel at fishing with exceptionally lengthy arms that can simultaneously grasp two fish. Historical records mention discovering their garments with sleeves measuring three chi long, confirming their extraordinary limb length.

Mount Di serves as the burial ground for ancient sage-kings: Emperor Yao rests on its southern slope (with multiple proposed locations including Yangcheng and Dong'e), while his father Emperor Ku (also known as Gaoxin) lies interred on the northern side. The mountain teems with marvelous creatures - black bears, striped tigers (diaohu), macaques, and leopards. Mythical elements include the Vermilion Bird (or possibly a crimson sacred tree called Lishu) and Regenerating Flesh (shirou, a liver-like substance that regrows when eaten). King Wen of Zhou is also said to be buried here.

The text explains that multiple locations claim these sage-kings' tombs because their virtuous influence (De) spread so widely that distant tribes spontaneously erected memorial mounds upon their deaths. This phenomenon mirrors later eras where multiple commemorative sites honor sages - just as subsequent generations established numerous memorials for virtuous figures across different regions.

During the Han Dynasty, temples dedicated to the Heavenly Sovereign were established in various remote commanderies and kingdoms, and these records preserve visual documentation from that era. Among them was a mountain called Tang Mountain, also known as Yuan Mountain. Within its depths dwelled bears, brown bears, striped tigers, long-tailed monkeys, leopards, as well as mythical creatures like the Luminous Zhu Bird, the Owl-like Niaojiu Bird, the Regenerating Flesh (a legendary self-renewing meat), and the mysterious Hujiao creature. This vast Fan Forest stretched three hundred li in circumference, its dense foliage covering the mountainous wilderness.

The Southern Fire Deity Zhu Rong was depicted with an animal's body and a human face, riding upon two dragons.

The "Illustrated Eulogies of the Classic of Regions Beyond the South" describes: From this point onward, insects are referred to as snakes, and snakes are called fish. What is humble may still serve as tribute, while what is precious may not remain so forever. All things inherently lack fixed value—their worth is assigned by humans. This principle applies universally, not merely to scales of snakes and fish.

The people of the Feathered Kingdom had beaks like birds, elongated cheeks, and bodies covered in plumage, reproducing by laying eggs. Though they could flutter briefly, their flight was limited. While humans are naturally hairless creatures, why did this kingdom's inhabitants manifest the opposite?

East of the Feathered Kingdom dwelled sixteen (two times eight) deities governing the night. With interlinked arms supporting one another, they remained hidden by day and emerged after dark, transforming with the passage of time.

The people of Huantou Kingdom bore bird-like beaks and walked with feathered staffs. Inhabiting coastal regions, they subsisted on grains, particularly favoring a premium variety called "glutinous millet."

The Flame-Spitting Kingdom's inhabitants had monstrous bestial forms capable of exhaling fiery essence. Their breath-born flames, though seemingly miraculous, followed natural principles.

Three-Pearl Trees grew along the banks of the Scarlet River, their upright cypress-like leaves dazzling like comets, shimmering with iridescence beneath the crimson waves.

In the Zhi Kingdom, people neither cultivated silkworms nor tilled fields, yet hundred beasts danced for them and flocks of birds beat their wings. Called "Zhi Folk," they enjoyed natural abundance of food and clothing.

The people of Pierced-Chest, Cross-Legged, and Forked-Tongue Kingdoms resembled molten metal shaped in a furnace—each form equally valued by the Creator. Their peculiar features testified to Heaven and Earth's transformative power.

The Immortal Kingdom's residents dwelled atop circular mounds, drinking from the Scarlet Spring (Fountain of Youth) to prolong life, sustained by divine trees that granted extraordinary longevity.

The Toothed Creature was a humanoid with protruding fangs, more ferocious than nine-headed infants or serpentine monsters. Emperor Yao once commanded the archer Hou Yi to slay it at Shouhua.

Though sharing one body, the Three-Headed Kingdom's people breathed through separate heads. Observers could witness all three eating simultaneously, each satisfied—a marvel of spontaneous creation, not deliberate design.

The Dwarf Kingdom's inhabitants were exceptionally diminutive in stature.

The "Classic of Mountains and Seas" records numerous extraordinary nations and deities. It mentions that the people of the "Land of Giants" stood three zhang tall, while those of the "Land of Dwarfs" measured only slightly over one chi in height—though vastly different in stature, both were considered human beings.

In the "Land of Long Arms," people possessed arms reaching three chi in length while maintaining ordinary body proportions. These long-armed folk made their living by skillfully catching fish along the coast. Mount Di served as the burial ground for ancient sage-kings, with Emperor Yao interred on its southern slope and Emperor Ku to the north. Their virtuous influence (De) spread so widely that all creatures remembered their benevolence, hence their magnificent posthumous worship—even foreign tribes came to pay homage, let alone the descendants of Huaxia.

The text also describes a peculiar creature called "flesh-vision"—a fleshy mass with eyes but no digestive organs, resembling a puffball mushroom. Strangely, this creature could never be fully consumed yet tasted remarkably bland.

The southern regions were governed by Zhu Rong, the Fire God, who rode a dragon-drawn chariot and commanded scorching yang energy (Yang Qi). As the assistant deity to the Flame Emperor, Zhu Rong maintained dominion over the south. These records reveal the marvelous imaginary world of ancient people.