Classic of Mountains and Seas | |||||||||||||||||||
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![]() Scrollable pages from volume five of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, a Ming dynasty (1368–1644) woodblock printed edition | |||||||||||||||||||
Traditional Chinese | 山海經 | ||||||||||||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 山海经 | ||||||||||||||||||
Literal meaning | "Classic of Mountains and Seas" | ||||||||||||||||||
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The Classic of Mountains and Seas, also known as Shanhai jing (Chinese: 山海经),[1] formerly romanized as the Shan-hai Ching,[2] is a Chinese classic text and a compilation of mythic geography[3][4] and beasts. Early versions of the text may have existed since the 4th century BCE,[5][6] but the present form was not reached until the early Han dynasty.[6] It is largely a fabulous geographical and cultural account of pre-Qin China as well as a collection of Chinese mythology.[citation needed] The book is divided into eighteen sections; it describes over 550 mountains and 300 channels.