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Chinese myths (and legend) Mythology in China has a rich and complicated history. As China is one of the world’s 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, 山海經), 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 (盤古) who was the first living being and creator of all in Chinese mythology, while Nü Wa (女蝸/女娲) 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, 三皇五帝) 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. 1