Shā Táng

400 li southwest stands Kūnlún [昆侖] Hill, the High God's lower capital, governed by Lù Wú [陸吾]. This god has a tiger's body, nine tails, a human face, and tiger claws. He governs the nine divisions of heaven and the seasons of the High God's gardens. There is a beast like a goat, with four horns, called Tǔ Lóu [土螻]; it eats people. There is a bird like a bee, as large as a mandarin duck, called Qīn Yuán [欽原]. Birds and beasts it stings die; trees it stings wither. There is also the Chún Niǎo [鶉], which oversees all the High God's garments. There is a tree like a crabapple, with yellow blossoms and red fruit, tasting like plums but without stones. Its name is Shā Táng [沙棠]; it wards off water, and whoever eats it cannot drown. There is a plant called Pín Cǎo [薲], like mallow and tasting like onion; eating it dispels weariness. The Hé [河] River rises here and flows south into Wúdá [無逹]; the Chì [赤] River rises here and flows southeast into the Fàntiān [氾天]; the Yáng [洋] River rises here and flows southwest into the Chǒutú [醜塗]; the Hēi [黑] River rises here and flows west to Dàyú [大杅]. There are many strange birds and beasts.

Read in Mountains & Seas →

From the English edition of Mountains & Seas. Open the reader for the Chinese editions and translator’s notes. Linked names follow the card catalogue; hover to see the original wording.