2. Shan Hai Jing is an ancient book in the pre-Qin period of China. It is also a fantastic book. The author of the book is unknown. Modern scholars think that this book was not written in a moment, and the author is not alone.
Shan Hai Jing has been handed down for 18 volumes, including 5 volumes of Shan Hai Jing and 3 volumes of Hai Jing 13. The age of each volume is unknown, of which 14 is the work of the Warring States period and 4 is the work of the early Western Han Dynasty. The contents of Shan Hai Jing are mainly geographical knowledge in folklore, including mountains and rivers, Taoism, nationalities, products, medicines, sacrifices and witch doctors. It has preserved many famous ancient myths, legends and fables, including Kuafu's day by day, Goddess's mending the sky, Jingwei's reclamation and Dayu's harnessing the water. Shan Hai Jing has extraordinary literature value, which can be used as a reference for studying China's ancient history, geography, culture, Chinese and foreign transportation, folk customs and myths, among which the mineral records are the earliest related documents in the world.
Perhaps the most important value of Shan Hai Jing is that it preserves a large number of myths and legends, which we are all familiar with, such as reclamation day by day, nine-day massacre, water control in Yu, mountains beyond the reach of public anger, and many unknown ones. For example, in overseas classics, there is such a passage: "Minister Gong * * * called Xiang Liu to eat nine poems. When Liu arrived, he was named Zexi. To kill Xiang Liu is bloody and can't grow grains. Yu Jue, three years old and three years old, thought it was the emperor's platform. North of Kunlun and east of Li Rou. Xiang Liu, nine faces, snake body and green. Dare not shoot north, afraid of the stage of * * *. Taiwan Province is in its east. On all sides of the platform, there is a snake in the corner, tiger color, facing south. "
Shan Hai Jing has a great influence and is highly valued by international sinologists. Scholars in ancient and modern times have different understandings of its content and nature. For example, Sima Qian bluntly said that its content was "dare not say anything", and Lu Xun thought it was "the book of wizards and alchemists". At present, most scholars believe that Shan Hai Jing is an early and valuable geographical work.