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The authorship of the Shanhaijing was attributed to the mythical ruler Yu the Great. As the person who has made order among rivers, mountains and the soil of China he must have had deep knowledge of geography (compare the chapter "The Tribute of Yu" in the classic Shangshu). But in fact, the Classic of Mountains and Seas is a compilation of geographical reports, tales, myths, fiction, rituals, medical knowledge, natural history and ethnic peoples of the ancient world of China and her neighbors the third century BC to the second century AD.
Book 1 to 5 tell us the regions of the Southern, Western, Northern, Eastern and Central Mountains; Book 6 to 9 the regions "beyond the seas" (haiwai 海外; outside of China); Book
10 to 13 the regions "within the seas" (hainei 海內; China proper); and Book 14 to 18 the regions of the great "wilderness" (dahuang 大荒).
The most important translations are that of Schiffeler (only partial); Thern; Yuan K'o; and Mathieu.
A few examples shall give an impression of the character of this early geographical-mythical classic.

南山經
...又西北三百五十里，曰玉山，是西王母所居也。西王母其狀如人，豹尾虎齒而善嘯，蓬發戴勝，是司天之厲及五殘。有獸焉，其狀如犬而豹文，其角如牛，其名曰狡，其音如吠犬，見（＝現）則其國大穰。有鳥焉，其裝如翟而赤，名曰勝遇，是食魚，其音如錄，見（＝現）則其國大水。
The Classic of the Southern Mountains
...Three hundred and fifty leagues further west is a mountain called Mount Jade (Yushan). This is where Queen Mother of the West (Xi Wangmu) lives. In appearance, Queen Mother of the West looks like a human, but she has a leopard's tail and the fangs of a tigress, and she is good at whistling. She wears a victory crown on her tangled hair. She presides over the Catastrophes the Sky (Tian zhi Li) and the Five Destructive Forces (Wu Can). There is an animal here which looks like a dog, but it has the markings of a leopard an its horns are like those of an ox. Its name is the trickster. It makes a noise like a barking dog. Wherever it appears, that kingdom will have a bumper harvest. There is a bird on Mount Jade which looks like a hill pheasant but it is scarlet. Its name is the stinkmeet. It feeds on fish. It makes a noise like wood being carved. Wherever it appears, that kingdom will have a severe flood.
西山經
西山經華山之首，曰錢來之山，其上多松，其下多洗石．有獸焉，其狀如羊而馬尾，名曰羬羊，其脂可以已腊．
The Classic of the Western Mountains
In the Classic of the Western Mountains, the first peak of the Mount Blossom (Huashan) range is Mount Moneycome (Qianlai). Pine trees are numerous on its summit, and there are quantities of laundry stones at its base. There is an animal here which looks like a ram but it has a horse's tail. Its name is the goat-antelope (or the fat-tail sheep, xianyang). Its fat can cure chapped skin.
東山經
...又南三百里，曰泰山，其上多玉，其下多金．有獸焉，其狀如豚而有珠，名曰狪狪，其鳴自欒．環水出焉，東流注于江，其中多水玉．
The Classic of the Eastern Mountains
...Three hundred leagues further south is a mountain called Mount Great (Taishan). Jade is plentiful on the summit and gold is abundant on its lower slopes. There is an animal on this mountain which looks like a boar and it contains pearls. Its name is the same-same. When it grunts it calls itself tongtong. The River Ring (Huanshui) rises here and flows east to empty into the Long River (Yangtse). The River Ring contains a quantity of rock crystal.
海外西經
...女子國在巫咸北，兩女子居，水周之．一曰居一門中．
The Classic of Regions beyond the Seas: the West
...The Country of Women lies north to the country of Shaman Whole (Wu Xian). Two women live there with water surrounding them. One author says that the two women live together within the same house gates.
軒轅之國在此窮山之際，其不壽者八百歲．在女子國北．人面蛇身，尾交首上．
Cartshaft Country (Xuanyuan) lies right next to Mount Exhaust (Qiongshan). The most short-lived among its people are 800 years old. Cartshaft Country lies north of the Country of Women. Its people have a human face, a snake's body, and a snake's tail which is coiled on top of their head.

Translated by Anne Birrell; published by the Penguin Group.