Skip to content
Chinese Weird Tales

Chinese Weird Tales

  • Home
  • Zhiguai Stories
    • Strange Tales From A Chinese Studio
    • What the Master Would Not Discuss
    • Classic of Mountains and Seas
    • In Search Of The Supernatural
    • Shi Yi Ji
    • Qi Xie Ji
  • Featured Articles
    • Fox Spirit: Mythical Creature in Easten Asia Forklore and Legend
    • Chang’e: Chinese Goddess Flying to the Moon
    • Penglai: Island of Immortality and Mythological Marvel
    • Chiyou/蚩尤: Chinese God of War
    • The Enigmatic World of ‘Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio’
    • The Classic of Mountains and Seas(Shanhaijing): Exploring Amazing Ancient Chinese Mythology and Geography
    • Zibuyu: Unveiling the Forbidden Realm of Confucius
    • 10+ Chinese Torture Techniques and Methods: A Historical Exploration
    • 11+ Chinese Mythological Creatures: A Reference Guide
    • Chinese New Year 2024: Discover Your Chinese Zodiac Sign
  • Chinese Yokai
  • Gallery
    • Penglai
    • Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio

Shi Yi Ji

“Shi Yi Ji”《拾遺記》 is authored by Wang Jia, a native of Anyang in Longxi during the Jin Dynasty, styled Zinian. It comprises nineteen volumes with two hundred and twenty sections, all featuring fragmented content. During the decline of the Qin Dynasty, when the governmental structure shifted and the five capitals fell, the regions of Heluo became desolate ruins, palaces and houses were overgrown, and literary collections were buried and destroyed. The frost and dew on brambles and thorns do not only lament the past kings; the weeds overgrowing the grains deeply sorrow this era! Hence, the dispersal of regulations and institutions, the burning of educational halls, and the near extinction of imperial records and emperor’s edicts, led to the loss of many works. This book begins with the era of Emperors Yu and Yan, spanning up to the end of the Western Jin, covering the cyclic rise and fall of five elements and fourteen dynasties. Wang Jia compiled these diverse and peculiar tales, focusing on the strange and unusual, recording events in a simple manner, with a love for the extensive and bizarre. The book revises the ancient texts of statutes and integrates varied compilations, including what is not found in the ‘Classic of Mountains and Seas’ and what is no longer preserved from the Xia Dynasty tripods. The language is excessively grandiose, the intent broad and far-reaching, regretfully leading to redundancy. It extensively covers auspicious omens and tales of immortals, marvelously speaking of all things, truly broad and profound!

As the world’s morality declined, literature became somewhat incomplete. The book further eliminates its chaotic and redundant parts, recording the true and beautiful, exploring the hidden secrets, and gathering the scattered and lost, with words neither deceptive nor groundless, and events not falsely concocted. By thoroughly examining past traces, it mirrors the classics and histories; and by verifying the true and the bizarre, it adheres to diagrams and texts. For distant matters of principle, the language is concise and simple; for recent moral deeds, the writing remains ornate. The compilation interweaves various topics, forming coherent chapters. As dynasties and policies change over time, so do the styles and policies adapt. However, texts like the ‘Golden Rope Bird Seals’ and ‘Jade Slip Insect Scripts’ have been transmitted through later ages with many deviations from the original, and even with careful research and transcription, there are still many doubts and errors. Regarding governance and transformation, or auspicious omens, they are arranged according to the era. The domains of lands, mountains, and rivers are often doubted due to their names; the categories of plants, birds, and animals also confuse with their sounds and forms. The distinctions are made according to their descriptions, explanations vary by region, or they adapt and unify their principles, not solely relying on one theory. Now, having gathered these remnants, they are compiled into one work of ten volumes, sequentially recorded herein.”

Qin Shi Huang/秦始皇

2023-10-24 by Weird Tales
Immerse in Qin Shi Huang's era of skilled artisans, supernatural encounters, and his unyielding quest for immortality and magical arts.
Categories Shi Yi Ji Tags ancient China, artisans, celestial phenomena, immortality, mystical experiences, Qin Shi Huang, supernatural, Wanqu envoy, Yunming Terrace, Ziwu Terrace 2 Comments

Dongting Mountain/洞庭山

2023-10-24 by Weird Tales
Discover Dongting Mountain's golden halls and the enchanting cave where bell chimes and qin melodies create an atmosphere of ancient mystique, as celebrated during King Huai of Chu's reign.
Categories Shi Yi Ji Tags Ancient mystique, Bell and chime sounds, Cultural heritage, Dongting Mountain, Fragrant spring water, goddess, King Huai of Chu, Mystical cave, Qin music, Taihu Lake 1 Comment

Kunwu Mountain/昆吾山

2023-10-24 by Weird Tales
Explore Kunwu Mountain's fiery red copper ore deposits, linked to the legendary battle of the Yellow Emperor, and the unique golden-furred animal that thrives in this mineral-rich landscape.
Categories Shi Yi Ji Tags Ancient battlefield, Chi You, Golden-furred animal, Historical significance, Kunwu Mountain, Mineral-rich environment, Rabbit-sized creature, Red copper ore, Yellow Emperor 1 Comment

Mount Daiyu/岱舆山

2023-10-24 by Weird Tales
Discover Mount Daiyu's wonders, including the boiling Yuanyuan Lake, melting metals into mud, and the lofty Jade Bridge adorned with dragons and phoenixes, amidst swirling clouds.
Categories Shi Yi Ji Tags Boiling water, Dragons and phoenixes, Fuxi Mountain, Jade Bridge, Metal transformation, Mount Daiyu, Mystical mountain, Natural phenomena, Yuanyuan Lake

Yuanqiao Mountain/员峤山

2023-10-24 by Weird Tales
Explore Yuanqiao Mountain, featuring a thousand-mile-circumference square lake and luminescent stones, alongside the snow-white, radiant Yunpeng grass, revealing nature's marvels.
Categories Shi Yi Ji Tags Huanqiu Mountain, Large magpies, Luminous stones, Mystical mountain, Natural wonders, Radiant flora, Square lake, Yuanqiao Mountain, Yunpeng grass

Yingzhou Island/瀛洲

2023-10-24 by Weird Tales
Discover Yingzhou, an eastern mystical island with a profound cave harboring thousand-foot-long, horned, colorful fish, offering a glimpse into a world of aquatic wonders.
Categories Shi Yi Ji Tags Aquatic wonders, Colorful bodies, Deep cave, Eastern realm, Gigantic fish, Horned fish, Huanzhou, Mystical island, Yingzhou Island 14 Comments

Fangzhang Mountain/方丈山

2023-10-24 by Weird Tales
Explore Fangzhang Mountain, an eastern mystical realm with jade forests, purple clouds, dragons, and the enchanting Cloud-Transmitting Terrace with its unique Constant Spring Trees.
Categories Shi Yi Ji Tags Cloud-Transmitting Terrace, Constant Spring Trees, Dragon Field, Dragons, Fangzhang Mountain, Jade forest, Luanzhi Mountain, Mystical realm, Purple clouds 1 Comment

Penglai Mountain/蓬莱山

2023-10-24 by Weird Tales
Discover Penglai Mountain, a mystical land with golden and jade-like stones, and the unique Hong'e bird, a fantastical creature of this celestial paradise.
Categories Shi Yi Ji Tags Celestial paradise, Fangqiu Mountain, Fantastical creatures, Golden stones, Hong'e bird, Jade-like stones, Mystical land, Penglai Mountain, Yunlai Mountain 1 Comment

Mount Kunlun/昆仑山

2023-10-24 by Weird Tales
Explore the enigmatic Mount Kunlun, where immortals dwell among clouds, and legendary creatures roam the nine-layered mythical summit.
Categories Shi Yi Ji Tags Divine tortoise, Five-colored clouds, Immortals, Kunling, Legendary creatures, Majestic palace, Mount Kunlun, Mythical summit, Nine layers 9 Comments

Jin Era Events/晋时事

2023-10-24 by Weird Tales
Delve into the Jin Dynasty's intriguing tales, featuring mystical plants, rare treasures, and fascinating characters that defined an era.
Categories Shi Yi Ji Tags Chong, Emperor Wu of Jin, Feng Xiangshi, Jade coins, Jin Dynasty, Lingqin Garden, Manjin Tai, Nine Yun Wine, Pinsi, Sima Yan, Soul-Wounding Bird, Taiwu Palace, Wangshu Grass, Wei vegetables, White cloud over Ba River, Xiangfeng, Yao Fu, Zhang Hua

Shu/蜀

2023-10-24 by Weird Tales
Explore the Shu Kingdom's era, marked by immense wealth and the mystical arts of divination, shaping its distinct historical narrative.
Categories Shi Yi Ji Tags ancient Chinese wealth, divination, Empress Gan, Fan Li, Liu Bei, Mi Zhu, Min Mountain, Shu Kingdom, Tao Zhu Gong, Zhou Qun

Wu/吴

2023-10-24 by Weird Tales
Uncover the Wu Dynasty's blend of enigmatic prophecies and artistic mastery, shaping its unique historical and cultural legacy.
Categories Shi Yi Ji Tags ancient Chinese art, Lady Pan, Lady Zhao, Lu Meng, Sun He, Sun Jian, Sun Liang, Sun Quan, Wu Dynasty, Zhang Cheng 2 Comments
Older posts
Page1 Page2 Page3 Next →
© 2025 Chinese Weird Tales • Built with GeneratePress