Chinese Mythology

Chinese mythology is a collection of cultural history, folktales, and religions that have been passed down in oral or written form. There are several aspects to Chinese mythology, including creation myths and legends and myths concerning the founding of Chinese culture and the Chinese state. Like many mythologies, some people believe it to be at least in part a factual recording of history. Many myths are better known in the West by their Japanese versions.

Historians have conjectured that the Chinese mythology began in 12th century B.C.. The myths and legends were passed down in oral format for over a thousand years, before being written down in early books such as Shui Jing Zhu and Shan Hai Jing. Other myths continued to be passed down through oral traditions such as theatre and song, before being recorded in the form of novels such as Fengshen Yanyi.
 

Chinese Zodiac animal signs  Origins of the Chinese Zodiac 

Records of Myths
Most myths extant today are derived from their recording in these works.

Shan Hai Jing - Literally Mountain and Sea Scroll, the Shan Hai Jing describes the myths, witchcraft, and religion of the ancient China in great detail and also has a record of the geography, sea and mountains, history, medicine, customs, and ethnicities in ancient times. It has been called an early encyclopedia of China. In Wu Chinese, "talking about the Shan Hai Jing" is an idiom meaning gossip or idle chat.
Shui Jing Zhu - Literally Commentaries on the Water Scroll, this work began as commentaries on the briefer work of the Water Scroll, but became famous of its own accord because of its extensive record of geography, history, and associated legends.
Hei'an Zhuan - Literally Epic of the Darkness, this is the only collection of legends in epic form preserved by a community of the Han nationality of China, namely, inhabitants of the Shennongjia mountain area in Hubei, containing accounts from the birth of Pangu till the historical era.
Imperial historical documents and philosophical canons such as Shangshu, Shiji, Liji, Lushi Chunqiu, and others.
Some myths survive in theatrical or literary formats, as plays or novels. Important mythological fiction which is seen as definitive records of these myths include:

Verse poetry of ancient states such as Lisao by Qu Yuan of the Chu state.
Fengshen Yanyi (封神演義), or Anointing of the Gods, which is mythological fiction dealing with the founding of the Zhou dynasty.
Journey to the West, by Wu Cheng'en, a fictionalised account of the pilgrimage of Xuanzang to India, in which the pilgrims encounter a variety of ghosts, monsters, and demons.
Baishe Zhuan, a romantic tale set in Hangzhou involving a snake who attained human form and fell in love with a man.

 Myths and Legends

Creation myths
A unique characteristic of Chinese culture is the relatively late appearance in Chinese literature of creation myths. Those that do exist appear well after the foundation of Confucianism, Taoism, and Folk Religions. The stories exist in several versions, often conflicting, with the creation of the first humans being variously ascribed to Shangdi, Heaven, Nuwa, Pangu, Yu Huang. The following presents common versions of the creation story in roughly chronological order.


Nuwa and Fuxi represented as half-snake, half-human creatures.Shangdi (上帝), appearing in literature probably about 700 BC, or earlier (the dating of these occurrences depends on the date of the Shujing, aka "Book of History"). There are no "creation" oriented narratives for Shangdi, although the role of a creator is a possible interperatation. Although Shangdi appears to have the attributes of a "person", detailed references to Shangdi as the creator are not explicitly identified until about the Han Dynasty.
Tian (天, or Heaven), appearing in literature probably about 700 BC, or earlier (the dating of these occurrences depends on the date of the Shujing, aka "Book of History"). There are no "creation" oriented narratives for 'Heaven', although the role of a creator is a possible interperatation. The qualities of 'Heaven' and Shangdi appear to merge in later literature (and are worshipped as one entity ("皇天上帝") in, for example, the Temple of Heaven in Beijing). The extent of the distinction (if any) between them is debated.
Nüwa (女媧), appearing in literature no earlier than about 350 BC, is said to have recreated, or created humanity. Her companion was Fuxi (伏羲), the brother and husband of Nuwa. These two beings are sometimes worshipped as the ultimate ancestor of all humankind. They are often represented as half-snake, half-human creatures. Nüwa was also responsible for repairing the sky after Gong Gong damaged the pillar supporting the heavens (see below).
Pangu (盤古), appearing in literature no earlier than about 200 AD, was the first sentient being and creator. In the beginning there was nothing but a formless chaos. Out of this chaos there was born an egg for eighteen thousand years. When the forces of Yin and Yang balanced, Pangu emerged from the egg, and set about the task of creating the world. He separated Yin and Yang with a swing of his great axe. The heavy Yin sank to become the Earth, while the light Yang rose to become the Heavens. Pangu stood between them, and pushed up the sky. At the end of eighteen thousand years, Pangu laid to rest. His breath became the wind; his voice the thunder; left eye the sun and right eye the moon; his body became the mountains and extremes of the world; his blood formed rivers; his muscles the fertile lands; his facial hair the stars and milky way; his fur the bushes and forests; his bones the valuable minerals; his bone marrows sacred diamonds; his sweat fell as rain; and the little creatures on his body (in some versions, the fleas), carried by the wind, became human beings all over the world.
Yu Huang (玉皇, or Jade Emperor), including representations such as Yuanshi Tianzun (元始天尊), Huangtian Shangdi (皇天上帝), appear in literature well after the establishment of Taoism in China.

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