Shan Hai Jing

Author: Guangling Shushe Editorial
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-08-01
Features: The Classic of Mountains and Seas is divided into two parts, The Mountain Classics and The Sea Classics, and is widely recognized as one of the most extraordinary books in ancient Chinese literature. The origins of its composition and authorship have long been debated. In the Western Han Dynasty, Liu Xin claimed it originated "during the reign of Tang and Yu" and was composed by Yu and Yi. Modern scholars generally date its compilation to the early Warring States period, with revisions made by the Qin and Han dynasties. In the late Western Han, Liu Xin organized and standardized the original thirty-two chapters of The Classic of Mountains and Seas into eighteen chapters, though both versions are now lost. Three hundred years later, Guo Pu of the Eastern Jin Dynasty annotated and commented on The Classic of Mountains and Seas, bringing it back into circulation. The earliest recorded mention of The Classic of Mountains and Seas appears in the Biographies of the Great Yuezhou in the Records of the Grand Historian. The nature of The Classic of Mountains and Seas—whether it should be classified as a book of divination, geography, or something else—has long been a subject of scholarly debate. Ban Gu, in the Treatise on the Arts and Literature of the Book of Han, classified it under the category of "Formative Methods in Divination and Numerology," believing it aimed to "enumerate the grandeur of the nine provinces" and seek "hierarchy and auspiciousness." After the Eastern Han Dynasty, many considered it a practical geographical text, as evidenced by Emperor Ming of the Eastern Han summoning Wang Jing and presenting him with The Classic of Mountains and Seas, The Book of River and Canal, and Yu Gong Maps (see the Biographies of Wang Jing in the Book of the Later Han). The Treatise on Classics of the Book of Sui, the Treatise on Classics of the Old Book of Tang, and the Treatise on Literature of the New Book of Tang all classified it under the category of "Geography." During the Qing Dynasty, Ji Yun and others compiled the Complete Library of the Four Treasuries, placing The Classic of Mountains and Seas under the category of "Fiction—Strange Tales." Meanwhile, Lu Xun, in his Sketches of the History of Chinese Fiction, suggested: "The Classic of Mountains and Seas may have been a book of shamanism in ancient times." Most modern scholars tend to classify it as an ancient geographical text. The Classic of Mountains and Seas contains both illustrations and text. In the Investigation into the Ancient and Modern Chapters of the Classic of Mountains and Seas by Bi Yuan of the Qing Dynasty, it is noted: "The Classic of Mountains and Seas had ancient illustrations, illustrations passed down from the Han Dynasty, and illustrations by Zhang Sengyou and others." The ancient illustrations from the Eastern Jin and earlier periods have long been lost, and what we see today are mostly illustrations from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Classic of Mountains and Seas is a treasured of ancient Chinese culture, documenting content spanning geography, mythology, religion, folklore, medicine, and shamanism, making it an important source for studying ancient society. This edition has been meticulously compiled and included in the Wenhua Series. During the compilation process, we incorporated the achievements of scholars from past dynasties, such as Bi Yuan's New of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, Hao Yixing's Annotations and Explanations of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, and Wang Fu's Collected Classic of Mountains and Seas. We also referenced Yuan Ke's Collation and Translation of the Classic of Mountains and Seas from the modern era. Additionally, we selected over four hundred and seventy illustrations from various editions. We hope to provide readers with a The Classic of Mountains and Seas that holds value in reading, appreciation, and collection.