Geography
Sacred mountains, cursed valleys, and the fantastical geography of ancient China
8 articles
The Most Dangerous Lands in the Shanhai Jing
Seas of fire, mountains of ice, and lands where the sun never sets — the extreme environments at the edges of the ancient Chinese world.
The Four Seas and the Shape of the Ancient Chinese World
North, South, East, West — how the Shanhai Jing mapped the world as four wilderness regions surrounding a civilized center.
Kunlun Mountain: Where Heaven Meets Earth in Chinese Mythology
The mythical Kunlun is not just a mountain — it is the axis of the Chinese cosmos, home of the Queen Mother of the West, and the source of immortality...
Sacred Rivers in Chinese Mythology: The Yellow River and the Yangtze
The rivers that shaped Chinese civilization also shaped its mythology — dragons, floods, and river gods.
The Geography of the Shanhaijing: Mapping a World That Does Not Exist
The Shanhaijing describes mountains, rivers, and seas with precise distances and directions.
The Fusang Tree: Where Ten Suns Rest
Where Ten Suns Rest
Kunlun Mountain: The Paradise of Immortals
The Paradise of Immortals
Weak Water: The River Nothing Can Cross
The River Nothing Can Cross