《山海經》Vol. 7

The seventh volume of the Classic of Mountains and Seas records extraordinary sights from the western regions beyond the seas. Guo Pu annotated this passage as follows:

From the southwestern to the northwestern corners beyond the seas, there dwells a divine bird called the Miemeng Bird, which perches in the northern part of the Jiexiong Kingdom. Its feathers are a mix of blue and red, with a crimson tail. To the north stands the Great Yun Mountain, towering three hundred ren (an ancient unit of length, approximately seven feet).

North of Great Yun Mountain lies a place called the Wilderness of Great Joy (or the Wilderness of Great Legacy). Legend tells that Qi, the ruler of the Xia Dynasty (also known as Xiahou Qi), once performed a dance here while driving the Nine Generations of Divine Horses. He rode a chariot drawn by two dragons, shaded by a three-layered cloud canopy: in his left hand, he held a feathered ceremonial parasol (yi), while in his right, he grasped a jade ring, with a semicircular jade pendant (huang) hanging from his waist. The Returning to the Hidden: Zhengmu Jing records that Qi once divined an auspicious omen and ascended to heaven as an immortal by riding flying dragons.

Further north is the Kingdom of Three Bodies, where people have one head but three torsos. Nearby, the One-Armed Kingdom is even more peculiar—its inhabitants have only one arm, one eye, and one nostril, and they raise tigers with yellow stripes. There is also the Jigong Kingdom (with Ji pronounced as Ji), whose people, though possessing only one arm, have three eyes—arranged with yin above and yang below—and ride patterned steeds. Here, a type of two-headed bird with red and yellow feathers is found, and the locals excel at crafting intricate machinery, even constructing flying chariots that ride the wind over great distances. During the reign of King Tang of the Shang Dynasty, such a flying chariot was discovered in Yuzhou, but people deliberately destroyed it to prevent others from seeing it. Ten years later, a west wind blew, and it reappeared.

The text then recounts the story of Xingtian (or Xing Tian), who contended with the Heavenly Emperor for divine authority: the Emperor beheaded Xingtian and buried his head at Changyang Mountain. Yet Xingtian defiantly used his nipples as eyes and his navel as a mouth, continuing to brandish his shield (gan) and axe (qi) in battle.

The two goddesses Nüji and Nüqi dwell between two rivers: Nüqi holds an eel (shan), while Nüji carries a sacrificial meat platter (zu). Nearby, there is a type of blue-yellow bird called the Yi Bird (also known as the Huang Bird), whose passage brings calamity to any land it visits—a bird of ill omen akin to today’s owl. These birds have human faces and perch on mountains, though some say it is merely a gathering place for blue and yellow birds.

The Classic of Mountains and Seas records several extraordinary nations and creatures:

The Land of Husbands lies north of the Wei Bird, where all men dress formally and carry swords (legend says Emperor Ao appointed Da Wu to govern this place). A man named Meng once gathered herbs with the Queen Mother of the West (Xiwangmu). Stranded in the north without food, he survived on wild fruits and wore tree bark, never marrying yet giving birth to two sons from his own body. After his death, the people here came to be known as the Husband Folk.

Further north lies the corpse of Nü Chou, who was scorched to death by the ten suns. Her remains are posed peculiarly: her right hand covers her face (as if shielding herself from the sun), while the ten suns blaze overhead, her body resting on a mountaintop.

The Nation of Wu Xian lies north of Nü Chou, where the people hold a green snake in their right hand and a red snake in their left, dwelling on Mount Dengbao. This mountain serves as a celestial pathway for shamans who gather herbs, freely ascending and descending between heaven and earth. Nearby lives a creature called Bingfeng, resembling a pig but with a head at both ends, its body pitch black (modern crossbow-string snakes are said to belong to this category).

The Land of Women lies north of Wu Xian, where two women reside in a place surrounded by water (legend tells of a Yellow Pool—any woman bathing there would conceive, though male children would inevitably die by age three). Another account claims they live behind a single gate. The Nation of Xuanyuan borders the remote mountains, where the people enjoy extraordinarily long lives—even the shortest-lived reach 800 years (this land lies south of Mount Min). The people here have human faces and serpentine bodies, their tails coiled atop their heads. They dare not shoot arrows westward, fearing the Xuanyuan Mound to the west (where the numinous presence of the Yellow Emperor lingers). The Xuanyuan Mound is guarded by four intertwined serpents, surrounded by fertile plains where luan birds and phoenixes sing and dance freely. The inhabitants feast on phoenix eggs and drink sweet dew, their every wish fulfilled. North of the four serpents lies a land where beasts gather in herds—its people eat by holding bird eggs in both hands, guided forward by two divine birds.

Further north dwells the Dragon Fish, shaped like a wildcat (some say a one-horned shrimp). Holy beings ride it to traverse the Nine Provinces. Another account calls it the Turtle Fish.

In the distant northern wilderness there dwells a fish resembling a carp (a soft-shelled turtle-like creature). North of the dragon-fish habitat lies the White People's Kingdom, whose snow-skinned inhabitants wear their hair loose (described as pure white in complexion). Within this land roams a mythical beast called Chenghuang, fox-like in appearance with horns growing from its back—legend claims those who ride it may live two thousand years (the Zhou Records describe this white, fox-like creature with twin horns, also called "Flying Huang." The Huainanzi states this beast appears in stables during times of great peace).

Further north beyond the White People's Kingdom lies the Sushen Kingdom, where grows the sacred Xiongchang tree (sometimes written "Luochang"). Whenever a new emperor ascends the throne in the Central Plains, this tree produces bark suitable for clothing (the locals ordinarily wear no garments, using this bark only during dynastic transitions).

North of the Xiongchang tree stands the Long-Legged Kingdom, whose loose-haired inhabitants dwell east of the Red River. These people possess extraordinary proportions—records describe arms stretching two zhang (about 6 meters), suggesting legs may exceed three zhang (9 meters). Legends from the Yellow Emperor's era tell how these long-legged people often carried long-armed folk on their backs to fish in the sea (alternate records call it the "Long-Foot Kingdom," possibly inspiring modern stilt-walking acrobatics).

In the west resides Rùshōu, the Metal God governing autumn. With snakes dangling from his left ear and two dragons at his command, this white-furred deity bears a human face, tiger claws, and wields a massive axe (as recorded in Outer Traditions).

Emperor Qi of Xia divined and obtained flying dragon steeds, proving capable of commanding these divine creatures in dance. Fluttering cloud-like sleeves and wearing jade pendants, he demonstrated the virtue bestowed by the Heavenly Emperor while receiving celestial instruction.

The Three-Bodied Kingdom's people possess triple torsos, while the One-Armed Kingdom's inhabitants have single limbs. All creatures manifest in wondrous diversity—emerging from primordial chaos, neither addition nor subtraction alters their essential nature. These marvelous transformations defy tracing, demanding investigation of their fundamental origins.

The ingenious craftsmen of Qígōng Kingdom ("single arm" in name) designed wind-powered flying wheels (possibly early flying machines)—inventions so remarkable even Emperor Tang of Shang personally visited to witness them.

Xingtian (also called "Heaven's Punishment"), having lost his head in a failed bid for celestial sovereignty, transformed nipples into eyes and navel into mouth. Still brandishing shield and axe in eternal combat, his unyielding spirit persists beyond death.

The mysterious women Nüji and Nüqi, of unknown origin, dwell apart from society—preparing fish on riverbank altars (possibly shamanic figures), their solitary practices marking them as extraordinary.

A bluish-yellow bird called Yuanyi often heralds calamity when gathering in flocks. Resembling owls yet defying clear description, these creatures embody ominous portents.

The Husbands' Kingdom (legendary land of only males)...

Where yin energy prevails, transformation occurs, yet yang energy alone cannot foster life. King Wang Meng of the Husband Kingdom (a legendary land of only men) was the first to perceive these shifts between yin and yang. Where spiritual resonance reaches, neither mulberry trees nor stones bear offspring.

The corpse of Nü Chou (a mythical witch). Under the scorching blaze of ten suns, Nü Chou perished, her body exposed in the mountain hollow. She shielded herself with her sleeves—such a beautiful maiden, whose child was she? To suffer such a cruel celestial punishment.

Wu Xian (an ancient divine shaman). Among the many shamans, ten were great, and Wu Xian led them. They gathered scriptures and arts, synthesized various esoteric techniques, collected immortal herbs on the sacred mountain, and could traverse between heaven and earth at will.

The Bingfeng (a two-headed beast). When dragons pass, they have no heads, yet the Bingfeng connects front and back. Their forms turn away from each other, like horses standing back-to-back—numerous yet unified, the more one seeks to understand, the more elusive they become.

The Women’s Kingdom (a legendary land of only women). Jiandi conceived by swallowing a bird’s egg; Jiang Yuan became pregnant by stepping in a giant’s footprint. The women of this kingdom bathe in the Yellow Waters to bear children, but any male child born to them dies young.

The Xuanyuan Kingdom (the realm of the Yellow Emperor). The people of Xuanyuan receive heaven’s blessings—they need no extra clothes in winter, nor fans in summer. They breathe harmonized qi, and every household has elders as long-lived as Peng Zu (the immortal sage).

The Chenghuang (a divine beast). The Feihuang is a wondrous steed; riding it delays aging. Swift and nimble, it leaps like a dragon. Only those of lofty virtue may obtain it—a celestial omen bestowed by heaven.

The Miemeng Bird, Great Yun Mountain, and the Xiongchang Tree. The bird with a blue body and red tail is called Miemeng. Great Yun Mountain towers into the clouds, divided into three layers. The Xiongchang Tree grows in response to virtue—a sacred, sentient wood.

The Dragon Fish (a mythical creature). The Dragon Fish bears a single horn, resembling a wildcat, dwelling in the mountains and awaiting its moment. The sagely may ride it to roam the Nine Provinces or ascend to the heavens astride a dragon.

The Western Rùshōu (God of Metal in the West). Rùshōu governs the western lands—white-haired, with tiger claws, snakes coiled around his ears, and a great axe in hand. He punishes the unrighteous, guarding the western peaks, executing heaven’s will to chastise the wicked.

(This passage records various mythical realms, creatures, and deities from the Classic of Mountains and Seas, reflecting ancient interpretations of natural phenomena. Elements like yin-yang dynamics, human-beast symbiosis, and divine interaction showcase the unique imagination of early Chinese mythology.)