《淮南鴻烈解》Vol. 8

Huainan Honglie Jie, Volume 8, “Terrestrial Forms” (Dixing xun), Part Two—A Vernacular Interpretation

East: This is where rivers converge and the sun and moon rise. The people there have broad foreheads, high noses, large mouths, shoulders raised like a hawk’s, and they walk on tiptoe. Their body orifices communicate with the eyes, and their sinew Qi (vital energy) corresponds to them. They correspond to the color green and have the liver as their governing organ. The people are clever and precocious but not long-lived. The land is suitable for growing wheat and abounds in tigers and leopards.

South: This is where Yang Qi accumulates and where heat and dampness prevail. The people there are tall and slender, with broad foreheads, large mouths, and outward-slanting eye corners. Their orifices communicate with the ears, and their blood vessels correspond to them. They correspond to the color red and have the heart as their governing organ. The people die young in their prime. The land is suitable for growing rice and abounds in rhinoceroses and elephants.

West: There are many highlands; rivers flow out from here, and the sun and moon set here. The people there have narrow faces, slightly hunched backs, long necks, and walk with upturned faces. Their orifices communicate with the nose (“mo” means the spine and back), and the Qi of skin and hair corresponds to them. They correspond to the color white and have the lungs as their governing organ. The people are brave but unkind. The land is suitable for growing millet and abounds in yaks and rhinoceroses (“mao” is pronounced close to “mou” in “chou mou”; read quickly, it yields the sound “nai”).

North: This is dark and obscure, the place where Heaven closes, where cold water gathers, and where hibernating insects lie hidden. The people there have chests and backs drawn in, short necks (“xi” is pronounced like “xie” in “xiegan”), broad shoulders, and drooping buttocks. Their orifices communicate with the genitals, and their skeletal frame corresponds to them. They correspond to the color black and have the kidneys as their governing organ. The people are simple, dull-witted like birds and beasts, yet long-lived (“chong” is pronounced like “meng” in the colloquial phrase “mengran wuzhi” [utterly ignorant], obtained by rounding the mouth). The land is suitable for growing beans (shu means beans) and abounds in dogs and horses (ancient tradition says, “The land north of Ji is where horses are born,” referring to the fine horses produced in the Yan and Dai regions).

Center: This is open on all sides, where wind Qi circulates and rain and dew converge. The people there have broad faces, short chins, fine beards and eyebrows, and they dislike fatness. Their orifices communicate with the mouth, and skin and flesh correspond to them. They correspond to the color yellow and have the stomach as their governing organ. The people are intelligent and sage-like and fond of governance. The land is suitable for growing grain and abounds in cattle, sheep, and the six domestic animals.

Wood overcomes Earth, Earth overcomes Water, Water overcomes Fire, Fire overcomes Metal, and Metal overcomes Wood. Thus grain grows in spring when Wood is at its height and withers in autumn when Metal is at its height (grain belongs to Wood: it is born when spring Wood is dominant and dies when autumn Metal is dominant); beans grow in summer when Fire is at its height and wither in winter when Water is at its height (beans belong to Fire: they are born when summer Fire is dominant and die when winter Water is dominant); wheat grows in autumn when Metal is at its height and withers in summer when Fire is at its height (wheat belongs to Metal: it is born when autumn Metal is dominant and dies when summer Fire is dominant).

Vernacular Explanation of the Huainan Honglie Jie

The Rise and Decline of the Five Phases and “Aging, Flourishing, Generating, Imprisoned, Dying”

Ji (an aquatic plant) grows in winter and withers by midsummer. Ji belongs to Water: when the Qi (vital energy) of Water is in command it flourishes; when the Qi of Earth is in command it dies.

Among the Five Phases (Wuxing: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) there are also relations such as “flourishing, aging, generating, imprisoned, and dying.” For example: when Wood is flourishing, Water is aging; Fire is generating, Metal is imprisoned, Earth is dying. When Fire is flourishing, Wood is aging; Earth is generating, Water is imprisoned, Metal is dying. When Earth is flourishing, Fire is aging; Metal is generating, Wood is imprisoned, Water is dying. When Metal is flourishing, Earth is aging; Water is generating, Fire is imprisoned, Wood is dying. When Wood is dying, Water is flourishing; when Metal is aging, Wood is generating, Earth is imprisoned, Fire is dying. (This uses the generation and overcoming, prosperity and decline of the Five Phases to explain that the ten thousand things change with Qi.)

The Five Tones, Five Colors, Five Flavors, and Five Positions All Take Earth, Gong, Yellow, and Sweetness as “Master”

In sound there are five tones, with Gong as master; in color there are five categories, with yellow as master; in flavor there are five transformations, with sweetness as master; in position there are five materials, with Earth as master.

Thus there is an order of refining (governing, regulating): refining Earth generates Wood; refining Wood generates Fire; refining Fire generates Cloud (cloud is formed from the Qi of Metal); refining Cloud generates Water; refining Water returns again to Earth. Again: refining sweetness generates sourness; refining sourness generates pungency; refining pungency generates bitterness; refining bitterness generates saltiness; refining saltiness returns again to sweetness. (“Refining” means regulating and transforming.)

The five tones also have transformations: altering Gong generates Zhi; altering Zhi generates Shang; altering Shang generates Yu; altering Yu generates Jiao; altering Jiao generates Gong. (“Altering” means transforming.)

Therefore Water is used to harmonize Earth, Earth to harmonize Fire, Fire to transform Metal, Metal to govern Wood, and Wood returns again to Earth—only when the Five Phases govern one another can vessels and useful implements be completed. (Earth is the root; hence it says that only when the Five Phases generate and overcome one another can vessels and useful things be completed.)

The Thirty-Six Overseas Countries (from Northwest to Southwest)

Overseas there are thirty-six countries. From northwest to southwest there are: the Long-Legged People (a tribe with long legs and especially long thighs and feet); the Heavenly People; the Sushen People (the names of northern countries such as Sushen, Yan, and Bo; or interpreted as a people of solemn reverence and caution; one account says there was another such country in the west, so it was not necessarily only in the north).

There are also: the White People (white-bodied); the Wo People; the Women People (beardless in face, all like women); the Men People (all with the appearance of men, wearing yellow clothes, caps, and swords; all are countries of the west).

The One-Armed People (with only one arm and one hand, or one nose); the Three-Bodied People (one head with three bodies; also a western country).

From southwest to southeast there are also: the Knot-Chested People, the Huantou Country, the Naked People, and so on. (Each is a legendary overseas country with unusual customs.)

A Vernacular Reading of the Huainan Honglie Jie

This passage lists the strange “peoples” (tribes and countries) of the four quarters of the world and intersperses notes explaining their appearances and customs. It largely follows the tradition of mythic geography found in works such as the Shanhaijing.

Peoples of the South

The Sanmiao people are a country name; they are said also to be near Pengli (Poyang Lake) in the Yuzhang region. The Crossed-Legs people are a tribe whose two feet are intertwined and hooked together as they walk. The Not-Dead people do not eat ordinary human food and are known for “not dying.” The Pierced-Chest people have an opening in the chest that runs through to the back. The Reverse-Tongue people have tongue roots growing in front, not toward the throat; they are hard for others to understand, yet they can still comprehend one another—another account says this is a southern country. The Pig-Snout people have mouths like pig snouts. The Chisel-Tooth people have teeth like chisels; they can protrude one tooth that hangs down from the mouth and is about three chi long. The Three-Headed people have one body and three heads. The Long-Arm people are a country where everyone has long arms, with arms longer than the body. All of these belong to the countries of the South.

From the Southeast to the Northeast

The Great-People Country and the Gentleman Country: the Southeast has much mounded earth, and so people’s bodies are stalwart; the Gentleman Country has already been described in the previous chapter. The Black-Tooth people have teeth of dark black. The Dark-Thigh people have black thighs, with two birds flanking and guarding them (this is recorded in the Shanhaijing). The Hair people have hair growing on half their bodies, as hard as arrowheads. The Lao people are restless by nature, with unsettled minds. All of these are countries of the East.

From the Northeast to the Northwest

The Raised-Heel people do not let their heels touch the ground; they walk by bracing on their five toes. The Gouying people (one reading is “Jiuying”) are a northern country. The Deep-Eyed people, the No-Intestines people, and the Rouli people are all northern countries. The One-Eyed people have an eye in the center of the face. The No-Heirs people: most people in the country have no descendants. All of these belong to the North.

The Northwest and the Wilds of Sunset

Luotang and Wuren are in the northwestern corner and are associated with the mountain of sunset. The Bang fish is to their south and is shaped like a carp; a divine person rides it as it moves. The Nine Fields are south of the No-Heirs people; “bang” is pronounced close to “clam.” There are two spirits who link arms and act as emperor, keeping watch by night: the two join arms, shout loudly, and patrol at night; they are to the southwest. The Three-Pearl Tree is to their northeast. The Jade Tree is above the Red Water. Kunlun and Huaqiu are to their southeast (the commentary may have missing characters here; the phrase after “zai wu” may indicate the position of some country or mountain).

The whole passage uses directions—southeast, northeast, northwest, and so on—to link together strange peoples, strange beasts, divine mountains, and strange objects. It is a kind of encyclopedic record of the edges of the “world” as imagined by the ancients, not a factual geography; when reading it, one should treat it as mythic anomaly lore and a cosmological schema, not as country names on a modern map.

Southeast of the Wujimin (People Without Continuation) there are strange things such as Yiyu (leftover jade), blue horses, and Shirou (“flesh-meat,” a fleshy creature that grows by itself and restores itself the next day after being cut). The people there cannot speak. Various strange fruits such as yangtao (carambola), Ganzha, and Gange grow there—those borne on trees are called guo (fruits), those growing on the ground are called luo (ground fruits).

Heqiu (Harmony Mound) lies northeast of the Wujimin. A terrain that is square, elevated, and depressed in the center is called a qiu (mound); luan-birds sing here of their own accord and phoenix birds dance here of their own accord, hence the name Heqiu.

The three branchless “Three Mulberries” are in the west. Kuafu and Dan’er are in the north. The people of Dan’er country have earlobes hanging down to their shoulders (“dan” is pronounced like “zhe,” or written “she,” meaning to support the ears with both hands), and they live in the sea. Kuafu is a divine beast; when he drank, he drained the Yellow River and the Wei River but was still not satisfied, so he went to drink the waters of the West Sea and died of thirst on the way (see the Shanhaijing). The staff he discarded turned into a forest called Denglin (“deng” means wood; one account says Denglin is also an immortal).

Kunwu Mound is in the south. Kunwu was the son of Luzhong and grandson of Zhurong, ancestor of Chu; he once served as a Bo of Xia, hence the Shijing has the phrase “Kunwu and Xia Jie.” Xuanyuan Mound is in the west; Xuanyuan is Huangdi (the Yellow Emperor), who once ruled all under heaven under the title Xuanyuan.

Wuxian is in the north; he understood the heavenly Dao and could foretell good and ill fortune. Dengbao Mountain stands there. Yanggu (the place of sunrise) and Fusang are in the east; Fusang lies northeast of Dengbao Mountain.

Yousong country is north of Buzhou Mountain. The country had two sisters: the elder, Jian Di, and the younger, Jian Bi (the “song” in Yousong is pronounced like the “song” in Songshan; the sisters lived on the Jade Terrace and were consorts of Emperor Ku). The Heavenly Thearch sent the Dark Bird to descend and lay an egg; Jian Di swallowed it and gave birth to Xie. Xie later became Xuan Wang and the founding ancestor of Yin-Shang, hence the Shijing says, “Heaven commanded the Dark Bird; it descended and gave birth to Shang.”

Xiwangmu (Queen Mother of the West) lives on the shore of the Flowing Sands (according to the Dili zhi, her stone chamber lies beyond the frontier northwest of Linqiang County in Jincheng Commandery). Lemin and Nalü live on sandbars in the Weak Water of the Kunlun Mountains (a habitable place in water is called a zhou). Sanwei Mountain is west of Lemin country (Sanwei is the name of a mountain in the far west).

Zhuming and Zhuguang lived on sandbars in the river; the light they cast reached a thousand li. Longmen (Dragon Gate) lay in the depths of the Yellow River, and Juan Chi was on Mount Kunlun. Xuanyao was the name of a body of water, though some also called it a mountain. Buzhou stood by the sea. Mengzhu Marsh was in Pei—the lake district of the state of Song—northeast of Suiyang. Mount Shaoshi and Mount Taishi both lay in the Jizhou region and were alternate names for Songshan (Mount Song); Jizhou was both where Yao had his capital and a name for the realm as a whole.

Zhulong lived north of Yanmen, hidden in Mount Weiyu, so the sun could not be seen there. In form he had a human face and a dragon’s body and no feet. Another account holds that Zhulong held a torch in his mouth and lit the dark places; his body was a thousand li long—when he opened his eyes it was day, when he closed them it was night; when he blew it was winter, when he breathed out it was summer.

Houji’s tomb was west of Jianmu (Building Tree). Jianmu stood at Duguang; Duguang was a marshland in the south. People there could return to life after death; some turned into fish and lived around Jianmu. Liuhuang Womin lay three hundred li to its north, and the Dog Country to its east. Lei Marsh was a great marsh where a spirit with a human head and dragon body amused itself by striking its belly. Geographical records say the Lei Marsh mentioned in the Yu Gong lay northwest of Chengyang in Jiyin; Chengyang also held Yao’s tomb.

The Yangtze rose on the Min Mountains, flowed east across the Han River into the sea, then turned north as far as north of Mount Kaimu, then turned east again to the eastern edge of the world. The Min range was in western Shu; “crossing the Han” (jue Han) here means passing over the Han River. Kaimu was a mountain name in the eastern sea. The Yellow River rose on Jishi Mountain; the Sui River rose on Jing Mountain. It is said the Yellow River sprang from Kunlun, ran underground for three thousand li, and that Yu the Great later opened a channel so it issued from Jishi Mountain.

Geographical Explanatory Notes on the Huainan Honglie Jie (Vernacular)

This entry comes from the northern route in the Yu Gong: Jingshan lies south of Huaide County in Zuo Fengyi Commandery; the area of the Jing, Piao, and Yuan rivers belonged to the marshlands of Yongzhou.

The Huai River rises in Tongbai Mountain. The Sui River rises in Yu Mountain. (Tongbai Mountain is within Shangdang Commandery.) The Clear Zhang rises in Jieli Mountain, and the Turbid Zhang rises in Fabao Mountain. (Jieli Mountain is in Shangdang; Fabao Mountain, also called Luku Mountain, is also in the area of Zhangzi in Shangdang. The two Zhang rivers join and flow through Wei Commandery into the Qing River.) The Ji River rises in Wangwu Mountain. The Shi, Si, and Yi rivers rise in places such as Tai Mountain, a second Tai Mountain, and Shu Mountain. (Wangwu is northeast of Yuan County in Hedong; Tai, Tai, and Shu are mountain names, but their exact locations are mostly unclear in the sources.) The Luo River rises in Lie Mountain. (Lie Mountain is in the Yi region northwest of Beidi; the Luo flows southeast and enters the Wei. The line in the Classic of Poetry, “Look at that Luo, how vast its waters are,” refers to this river.) The Wen River rises in Fuqi Mountain and joins the Ji River downstream. (Fuqi Mountain is east of Zhuxu County in Beihai.)

The Han River rises in Bozhong Mountain, and the Jing River rises in Boluo Mountain. (Bozhong is on the western border of Han County; the Han flows south into Guanghan and then southeast to Yongzhou, where it enters the Yangtze. Boluo Mountain, also called Jitou Mountain, is west of Linjing County in Anding and is the source of the Jing River according to the Yu Gong; it flows southeast to Yangling and enters the Wei.) The Wei River rises in Niaoshu Tongxue Mountain, and the Yi River rises in Shangwei Mountain. (Niaoshu Tongxue is southwest of Shouyang in Longxi; the Wei flows east, joins the Li River, and then enters the Yellow River; it is one of the rivers of Yongzhou. Shangwei is a mountain name whose location is unknown.) The Luo River (another system) rises in Xiong’er Mountain. (Xiong’er is near the capital, northwest of the Wei River.)

The Jun River rises in Huaqiao; the Wei River rises in Fuzhou Mountain; the Fen River rises in Yanjing Mountain. (Yanjing is in Fenyang, Taiyuan; it is the source of the Fen, which flows southwest to Fenyang and forms the marshlands of Jizhou.) The Zhi River rises in Fendi; the Zi River rises in Muyi Mountain. (Muyi is a mountain name.) The Dan River rises in Gaochu. (Gaochu, also called Zhongling Mountain, is in Shangluo of Jingzhao; the Dan flows east to Jun County and enters the Mian River.) The Gu River rises in Jiao Mountain; the Hao River rises in Xianyu Mountain; the Liang River rises in Maolu and Shiliang Mountains. (Xianyu, Maolu, and Shiliang are all mountain names.) The Ru River rises in Meng Mountain; the Qi River rises in Gong Mountain.

The above entries use Han-dynasty geographical knowledge to compare with records in the Yu Gong and other classics such as “such-and-such river emerges from such-and-such mountain,” explaining mountain names, commanderies and counties, and flow directions. For many of these mountain names, their present locations are difficult to identify precisely; the explanatory text itself also often contains remarks like “the place is not heard of.” It should be read as an ancient explanation of river sources and courses, and not uniformly treated as fixed points on a modern map.

A Vernacular Interpretation of the Huainan Honglie Jie

Da Hao Mountain (also called Meng Mountain or Gaoling Mountain, in the present-day Dingling area of Henan; the Ru River originates here and flows east to Xincai, where it joins the Huai River; one account says that Da Hao Mountain is north of Qiong County in Henei Commandery, and another says it is west of Linlü).

The Jin River originates at Long Mountain; Jieji and Heyi are mountain names (Long Mountain is northwest of Jinyang and is the source of the Jin River, which flows east into the Fen River; Fengyang is also a mountain name).

The Liao River originates at Dishi Mountain; the Fu River originates at Jing Mountain (Dishi lies beyond the frontier, from which the Liao River flows south into the sea; Jing Mountain is southwest of Handan, from which the Fu River flows south into the Zhang River. Its source surges and boils like boiling water in a cauldron; hence it is called Fu, and today it is called Fukou).

The Qi River originates at Shiqiao; Huchi (a great marsh in Bingzhou; the present-day Hutuo River in the Zhongshan and Hanchang areas is this) originates at Luping Mountain (Luping is a mountain name).

The Nitu Abyss originates at Man Mountain (“Man” is pronounced as in the surname Man-shi); the Wei River flows north and enters the territory of Yan (beyond the frontier of Northern Yan).

The Tiao Wind is generated by Zhuji and Sheti (Zhuji and Sheti are names of deities; in the Bagua, the Gen trigram corresponds to the Tiao Wind).

The Mingshu Wind is generated by Tongshi (Tongshi is a deity; the Zhen trigram corresponds to the Mingshu Wind).

The Qingming Wind is generated by Chifenruo (Chifenruo is a deity; the Xun trigram corresponds to the Qingming Wind).

The Jing Wind is generated by Gonggong (Gonggong is a deity with a human face and a snake body; the Li trigram corresponds to the Jing Wind).

The Liang Wind is generated by Zhubi (Zhubi is a deity; the Kun trigram corresponds to the Liang Wind).

The Changhe Wind is generated by Gaoji (Gaoji is a deity; the Dui trigram corresponds to the Changhe Wind).

The Buzhou Wind is generated by Yuqiang (Yuqiang is a deity; the Qian trigram corresponds to the Buzhou Wind).

The Guangmo Wind is generated by Qiongqi (Qiongqi is a deity who lives in the north; it has feet and rides a rain dragon, and its form is like a tiger; the Kan trigram corresponds to the Guangmo Wind).

Tu begat Hairen (Hairen were the descendants of Tu); Hairen begat Ruojun (“Jun” is pronounced as the “qun” in “xiaqun”); Ruojun begat the sage; the sage begat the commoner; all who have form and countenance are born from Zhuanxu (a legendary ancient emperor).

Note: This passage belongs to Han-dynasty annotation on geography, wind divination, and mythological genealogy. It links the sources of mountains and rivers and the winds of the eight directions with the Bagua and the names of deities, and recounts a creation-like sequence of human ancestors from Tu to Hairen, Ruojun, the sage, and the commoner. Most of the place names and water names can no longer be precisely verified; they should be read in the manner of philological and documentary study, not treated as correspondences to modern maps.

A Vernacular Interpretation of the Huainan Honglie Jie

On the Genealogy of Birds and Beasts

In the commoner line—the account transmitted among ordinary people—Yujia produced Feilong (Yujia is the ancestor of flying creatures; Feilong is a winged dragon). Feilong produced the phoenix, the phoenix produced the luan bird, and the luan bird produced the various ordinary birds—all feathered creatures come from the line of ordinary birds.

Maodu produced Yinglong (Yinglong is a wingless dragon), Yinglong produced Jianma, Jianma produced the qilin, and the qilin produced the various ordinary beasts—all fur-covered beasts come from the line of ordinary beasts.

On Scaled and Shelled Creatures

The Jielin kind produced the Jiaolong (Jielin is the ancestor of scaled creatures; the Jiaolong is a dragon with scales and armor). The Jiaolong produced Kungeng, Kungeng produced Jianxie, and Jianxie produced the various ordinary fish—all scaly creatures come from ordinary fish.

The Jietan kind produced Xianlong (the “tan” in Jietan is read like the “tan” in Tan and refers to the ancestor of turtle-kind). Xianlong produced Xuanyuan, Xuanyuan produced Linggui, and Linggui produced the various ordinary turtles—all shelled creatures come from ordinary turtles.

Wind and Moisture, and the Five Mixed Kinds

Warm-moist Qi (vital energy) produced “Rong” (some editions have “Mo,” referring to the moist state before being dried by wind). Warm moisture comes from Maofeng, Maofeng comes from Shixuan, Shixuan produced Yufeng, Yufeng produced Nuanjie, and Nuanjie produced Linbo—these five mixed kinds imitate one another in outward form and multiply abundantly (“fan” means many). This says that species are transformed by Qi and generated by kind, resembling one another and breeding without cease.

Grasses, Trees, and Numinous Springs

Yuefeng (the ancestor of trees) produced Yang’e, Yang’e produced Qiaoru, Qiaoru produced Ganmu, and Ganmu produced the various ordinary trees—all trees that stand by their roots come from ordinary trees.

Genba produced Chengruo (Genba is the ancestor of grass roots), Chengruo produced Xuanyu, Xuanyu produced Liquan, Liquan produced Huanggu, and Huanggu produced the various ordinary grasses—all grasses whose roots are planted in the soil come from ordinary grasses.

Things That Float and Grow in Water

Hailü produced Qulong (Hailü is the ancestor of floating water plants; Qulong is the youlong, “roaming dragon,” in the poem line “In the low wetland there is youlong,” or some say “qu” is a graphic error). Qulong produced Ronghua (the lotus flower), Ronghua produced Biao (a floating, rootless water grass), Biao produced Pingzao, and Pingzao produced floating grasses—all things that float and grow without roots entering the soil come from the Pingzao line.

The Soils of the Five Directions and the Layered Transformations of “Aitian” (Dusty Heaven)

This is the sequence in which the Qi of true earth moves and reaches upward to Aitian: Aitian in five hundred years produced Queque, Queque in five hundred years produced Huang’ai (Yellow Dust), Huang’ai in five hundred years produced Huanghong, and Huanghong after another five hundred years… (The following text would continue with transformations involving the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), the Nine Provinces, and so on; here the scriptural text breaks off at Huanghong.)

Note: This chapter uses the genealogical formula “X produces Y” to arrange birds, beasts, fish, turtles, grasses, trees, floating water plants, and the myriad things into chains leading from ancestral divine beasts and numinous beings to ordinary species; it also uses Qi-names such as warm moisture, furry wind, and feathered wind to explain how the five mixed kinds take form through Qi and multiply through likeness. Readers should regard it as the cosmobiological theory of the Huainan school, not modern biological taxonomy.

(The Center belongs to Earth, and its number is five; therefore) it changes once every five hundred years and transforms into Hong water (that is, mercury). In the Center, after five hundred years it produces Yellow Gold (here “Yellow Gold” refers to a type of stone). Yellow Gold after a thousand years produces the Yellow Dragon; the Yellow Dragon enters the earth and produces the Yellow Spring; the dust-laden Qi of the Yellow Spring rises to become yellow clouds; when Yin-Yang press against each other, thunder is formed, and when they clash and surge, lightning is formed; the Qi that rises then descends, water finds its passage, and all converges in the Yellow Sea (the sea of the Center). The Qi of Partial Earth circulates in the Clear Heaven.

Clear Heaven after eight hundred years produces Qingzeng (a mineral), Qingzeng after eight hundred years produces Qinghong (Qinghong is mercury), Qinghong after eight hundred years produces Green Metal; Green Metal after eight hundred years produces the Green Dragon (the East corresponds to Wood, its color is green, and its number is eight; therefore it changes once every eight hundred years). The Green Dragon enters the earth and produces the Clear Spring; the dust-laden Qi of the Clear Spring rises to become green clouds; when Yin-Yang press against each other, clouds are formed, and when they clash and surge, lightning is formed; the Qi that rises then descends, water finds its passage, and all converges in the Green Sea (the sea of the East). The Qi of Strong Earth circulates in the Red Heaven.

Red Heaven after seven hundred years produces Red Cinnabar, Red Cinnabar after seven hundred years produces Chihong, Chihong after seven hundred years produces Red Metal (the South corresponds to Fire, its color is red, and its number is seven; therefore it changes once every seven hundred years). Red Metal after a thousand years produces the Red Dragon; the Red Dragon enters the earth and produces the Red Spring; the dust-laden Qi of the Red Spring rises to become red clouds; when Yin-Yang press against each other, thunder is formed, and when they clash and surge, lightning is formed; the Qi that rises then descends, water finds its passage, and all converges in the Red Sea (the sea of the South). The Qi of Weak Earth circulates in the White Heaven.

White Heaven after nine hundred years produces White Yu (yushi stone), White Yu after nine hundred years produces Baihong (mercury), Baihong after nine hundred years produces White Metal (the West corresponds to Metal, its color is white, and its number is nine; therefore it changes once every nine hundred years). White Metal after a thousand years produces the White Dragon; the White Dragon enters the earth and produces the White Spring; the dust-laden Qi of the White Spring rises to become white clouds; when Yin-Yang press against each other, thunder is formed, and when they clash and surge, lightning is formed; the Qi that rises then descends, water finds its passage, and all converges in the White Sea (the sea of the West). The Qi of Female Earth circulates in the Dark Heaven.

Dark Heaven after six hundred years produces Black Zhi (black stone), and Black Zhi after six hundred years produces Xuanhong (mercury).

Hongxuan (the chaotic Qi before Heaven and Earth had separated) transformed over six hundred years into Xuanjin (Mysterious Metal; according to the commentary, it takes the north, belongs to Water, is black in color, and has the number six, so six hundred years make one transformation).

After another thousand years, Xuanjin transformed into Xuanlong (Mysterious Dragon). Xuanlong sank into the earth and transformed into Xuanquan (hidden springs underground). The fine vapor rising from Xuanquan congealed above into Xuanyun (Mysterious Clouds); when the two Qi of Yin-Yang pressed against each other, thunder was born; when they surged and flew upward, lightning formed. Vapor in high places condensed and fell as rain; water in low places flowed along its natural course, and finally gathered in Xuanhai (the northern sea). Rain falls from the sky and water flows to low places; following this way, all flowing waters return to the great sea.