The Imagination of Space and Construction of Order in Shan Hai Ching
Date Issued
2012
Date
2012
Author(s)
Guo, Pei-Rong
Abstract
As a geographical literature, Shan Hai Ching describes and records the landscape and scenery of the world, as well as the relevant local living things by itemizing its descriptions. At the first glance, it looks confused, disordered and ill-systematized. Moreover, its authors and the time it was written was left unknown. Thus, the lack of the relevant information about its creation makes it impossible to clarify the intention of the authors. This study aims to specify the spatial characteristics of this mythological world, as well as the order of the thought involved, by observing the ill-organized descriptions in Shan Hai Ching.
Four main topics are discussed in the current study: the creation of the imaginary space, the philosophy of life and death, the conception of categorization, and the foreigners from afar in Shan Hai Ching. By a thorough study of the four topics, it emerged that though Shan Hai Ching seems like fantastic myth, it in fact illustrates the ideal world which the authors attempted to create. By the clear illustration of the order of the space and all things in the world, the authors of Shan Hai Ching created stable and tranquil sacred areas within and abroad. These areas may be in either Central Plains or the end of the world. Different modes of spatial divinization apply to different areas according to the distance. The purpose of spatial divinization is to wipe away chaos and transform the whole world into a holy “common place”. The characters and things in Shan Hai Ching are closely related to the features of the spaces they exist. For example, on the one hand, the Shan Ching, which contains both common and uncanny spatial features, is composed of descriptions of both common and uncommon characters and things. On the other hand, the Hai Ching, which contains unusual spatial features, is composed of descriptions of aliens with strange appearance who live far away. Furthermore, the categorization of the characters and things in Shan Hai Ching also implies the well-ordered world view of the book. In sum, based on the descriptions of the real world, Shan Hai Ching is a literature in which a fictitious ideal world is built and orderized with the authors’ imagination.
Subjects
Shan Hai Ching
order
space
philosophy of life and death
categorization
foreigners from afar
Type
thesis
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