Classic of Mountains and Seas

CORE DEFINITION

The Classic of Mountains and Seas is an ancient Chinese text compiled gradually from the pre-Qin period to the Qin and Han dynasties. Its authorship is unknown, traditionally attributed to Yu the Great and Boyi. The book records a vast number of myths, legends, and natural history knowledge, covering ancient mythology, geography, animals, plants, minerals, witchcraft, religion, history, medicine, folklore, and ethnic groups. Due to its rich content and unique nature, it has always been regarded as a "book of wonders." In the traditional four-part classification system, its categorization varied across dynasties, sometimes placed under geography (history section) and sometimes under miscellaneous works (masters section). The book was not completed by a single author at a single time; rather, it was accumulated and compiled from various regional knowledge (especially from the Chu region) during the Warring States period to the Qin and Han dynasties. In the late Western Han, Liu Xiang and his son Liu Xin systematically organized and edited it, consolidating it into eighteen chapters, which laid the foundation for later transmitted versions. The current edition of the Classic of Mountains and Seas contains over 31,000 characters, divided into five chapters of the "Classic of the Five Hidden Mountains" (abbreviated as the "Mountain Classic") and thirteen chapters of the "Sea Classic" (including four chapters of the "Classic of Regions Beyond the Seas," four chapters of the "Classic of Regions Within the Seas," four chapters of the "Classic of the Great Wilderness," and one chapter of the "Classic of Regions Within the Seas").