Mountains and Seas, tales of a world lost
An interactive atlas of the Classic of Mountains and Seas (山海经), translated into five languages. Public-domain content — no strings, no copyright traps.
Hover over the globe to explore each region
Every myth, every region.
What is the Shan Hai Jing?
The Classic of Mountains and Seas (山海经) is China's oldest surviving geography book — compiled around 300 BCE, it catalogs mountains, rivers, creatures, and myths across an ancient world. 18 volumes. Over 400 beings. No known author. A 2,300-year-old bestiary that has inspired every Chinese fantasy tradition since.
This project makes those stories available in six languages — Chinese, English, Thai, Malay, Vietnamese, and Indonesian. Public-domain text. No paywalls. No ads. Just old stories, new tongues.
Words that survived 2,300 years
"Jingwei carries a tiny branch, hoping to fill the vast sea. Xingtian dances with shield and axe — his fierce will endures forever."— Tao Yuanming, Reading the Shan Hai Jing