Creation Myths and Ancient Chinese Legends

Before mountains rose. Before the sky separated from the earth. Before gods, humans, and the natural world existed in their […]

Everyone remembers the nine arrows. But Hou Yi’s legend did not begin and end beneath ten burning suns. Hou Yi

Eight figures stand before a violent sea. None of them searches for a boat. One throws down an iron crutch.

The battle should have ended the moment his head hit the ground. Xing Tian had challenged a divine ruler and

On the brightest nights of autumn, families look toward the full moon. Some see light reflected across the sky. Others

Imagine waking beneath a sky with ten suns. There is no cool morning air. No shadow deep enough to hide

The world was alive, but it was empty. Mountains rose above the clouds. Rivers crossed the land. Birds filled the

In Chinese mythology, Nüwa repaired the broken sky using five-colored stones after a cosmic catastrophe damaged the pillars supporting Heaven.

According to Chinese mythology, the world was created by Pangu, a primordial giant who emerged from a cosmic egg at