Chenhuang(乘黃/飛黃)is a mythical creature in ancient Chinese mythology. According to the Classic of Mountains and Seas(山海經), it looks like a fox, has a horn on its back, and is yellow in color. The person who rides it will live for 2,000 years longer.
白民之国有乘黄，长得像狐，背上有角，毛色是黄的，乘者增寿二千岁
Ancient explanations of celestial bodies through the theory of “hun-tian” suggest that heaven and earth are one entity, like an egg. When the yolk and white of the egg are undivided, the world remains in a state of chaos. Once the yolk separates from the white, heaven and earth are formed. Humans cannot exist outside this eggshell. Therefore, the Taoist belief in the existence of thirty-three heavens beyond seems somewhat far-fetched.
Amidst trials and separation, the tale of Zhang brothers’ sacrifice and reunion unveils love and resilience in a touching saga of family bonds and undying hope.
Zhang brothers’ enduring sacrifices, separation, and eventual reunion showcase unwavering familial love and resilience in the face of adversity.
Penglai(蓬萊) is a fairy mountain that lies between reality and imagination. Legend has it that Penglai is located in the Bohai Sea, resembling clouds when seen from afar.
In Chinese #mythology, Penglai(蓬莱/蓬萊) is depicted as a suspended pavilion above the sea,supported by a cluster of auspicious clouds. It’s the palace of the immortals,all made of gold and jade,and the birds and beasts are all white.
It is stated in《列子》that there are five fairy mountains in the sea: First is Mount Taiyu, second is Mount Yuanjiao, third is Mount Fanghu, fourth is Mount Yingzhou, fifth is Mount Penglai.’ Penglai is just one among them.
There is an interesting theory about the structure of the mystical mountain, Penglai(#蓬萊) being a pot.
In WangJia(王嘉)’s ‘Records of the Unearthed Tales《拾遺記》’, Penglai ‘s structure is described as resembling a pot, alongside two other mystical mountains, Fangzheng and Yingzhou. These three, collectively termed the ‘Three Pots(三壺) ‘. The Three Pots symbolize three sea-bound mountains. Fanghu(方壺) represents Fangzhang(方丈), Ponghu(蓬壺) signifies Penglai(蓬萊), and Yinghu(瀛壺) embodies Yingzhou(瀛洲), all shaped akin to vessels.
This pot-like imagery signifies a contained world, each potentially holding its own universe within.
It portrays one of the “Three Mountains in the Sea”, the shape of a square jar as a floating vessel in a vast sea, surrounded by towering peaks forming an island in the sea, with several Taoist temples situated atop them.
Another illustration for the mysterious floating mountain, Penglai, in Chinese mythology.
This painting continues the tradition of previous immortal mountain artworks. The towering emerald-green mountains reaching into the clouds, the pavilions hidden among the irregular pine forests, and the bridge symbolizing the passage to the immortal realm, serving as a connecting and linking symbol – these typical elements of the immortal mountain paintings are all referenced by the artist.
To the east of Penglai(蓬萊) , there is a country called Yuyi, where golden mists frequently appear. The immortals say that this mountain often floats within the mist, sometimes rising high, sometimes hanging low.
Many buildings stand on the mountain, their windows usually facing towards the bright direction when the mist disperses, and all facing north when the mist vanishes.
文命忽見對面山上金霧迷漫，金霧之中，樓臺宮殿，窗戶洞開，不可勝計。隔了一會，金霧滅歇，房屋依然，而窗戶皆不見，仿佛如房屋之後面一般，甚不可解。大鵹道：「此地名叫郁夷國，是蓬萊山之東鄙，群仙居於此者不少。在山上所築的房屋皆能浮轉低昂，忽而朝南，忽而朝北，忽而高，忽而低，沒有一定，亦是仙家行樂之一法。」
~鐘毓龍 《上古秘史》, in the Qing Dynasty
I think the earliest record of that is in 《拾遺記》, will talk about that in the next thread.
