Chinese myths (and legend)

Mythology in China has a rich and complicated history. As China is one of the worlds oldest
civilizations dating back 4,000 years, myths were orally passed down from one generation to
the next and they did not appear in written form until much later. One of the earliest Chinese
texts is the Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shan Hai Jing, ), which describes ancient
Chinese religions, geography, history, medicine, and customs. It is believed to have been
written by numerous authors from the Warring States period to the beginning of the Han
dynasty.

Compared to Greek mythology, Chinese myths are very short and rarely exceed one
paragraph, which indicates that they are not complete. In fact, myth and reality have been
intertwined throughout history, and sometimes ancient myths were treated as historical truths.
Throughout the history of Chinese mythology, the most common recurring themes were the
creation of the cosmos and human beings, nature, moral issues and ancestor worship. Both
Taoism and Confucianism have also been associated with forming these themes.

The creation of the cosmos is usually attributed to Pan Gu () who was the first living
being and creator of all in Chinese mythology, while N Wa (/) is said to be the
creator of the human race and is best known for reproducing people following a great
calamity. The importance of nature is expressed in The Five Sacred Mountains and other
myths dealing with spirits and natural disasters. This kind of myth is often related to Taoism
which actually absorbed many mystical cults and created an elaborate pantheon as well as a
new mythology.

Gods, legendary rulers, ghosts or spirits in Chinese mythical stories are often associated with
moral issues and ancestor worship. One such example is the Three August Ones and Five
Emperors (sanhuangwudi, ) involving a collection of legendary rulers who ruled
between c. 2850 BC and 2205 BC. They were generally thought to have been extremely
moral and benevolent rulers and were examples to be emulated by latter day kings and
emperors. This theme of moral issues in mythology may have been motivated by Confucian
teachings about humanity and righteousness.