In the Shanhaijing, there are also some descriptions of mythical creatures that are very realistic, like this one: Feishu is an animal there whose shape is like a rabbit but with a mouse’s head. It flies using its back.
《山海經·北山經》
又東北二百裏，曰天池之山，其上無草木，多文石。有獸焉，其狀如兔而鼠首，以其背飛，其名曰飛鼠。澠水出焉，潛於其下，其中多黃堊
In the mountains, there is a beast Zhujian(諸犍) that resembles a leopard. It has a long tail, a human head, cow ears, and only one eye. It often roars loudly. When it walks, it holds its tail in its mouth. When it sleeps, it curls its tail up.
《山海經 北山一經》
又北百八十裏，曰單張之山，其上無草木。有獸焉，其狀如豹而長尾，人首而牛耳，一目，名曰諸犍，善咤，行則銜其尾，居則蟠其尾。
In the Luo River(洛水), there are many 蠻蠻(Man man). Their bodies are like rats, and their heads are like turtles. Their sounds are like barking dogs.
《山海經·西山經》
又西二百里，至剛山之尾。洛水出焉，而北流注于河。其中多蠻蠻，其狀鼠身而鼈首，其音如吠犬
During his tenure as the magistrate of Liangdang County(兩當縣) in Shaanxi(陝西), Tu Chiwen(屠赤文) had a cook named Zhang(張某) under his command. Zhang, a powerful and hearty eater, possessed immense strength and a robust stature but lacked his left ear. Tu Chiwen inquired about the cause of his missing ear, and Zhang recounted his experience.
“I hail from Sichuan(四川), where my family for three generations lived off hunting. We owned an extraordinary book passed down through generations, teaching hunters a peculiar skill: by catching a breeze and sniffing it, one could discern the approach of any wild beast.
According to the ancient texts: ‘Those with green pupils can see demons; those with white pupils can see ghosts.’
Next to the stone archway of Sanyuan Fang(三元坊) in Hangzhou lived an old lady surnamed Shen. She could often see ghosts. She once said, ‘Ten years ago, I saw a disheveled ghost hiding in the stone embroidery on top of the archway. It held paper money, using it as a dart. The paper dart was over ten feet long, densely packed, resembling a string of beads.
In Ding Shuiqiao(丁水橋), a town in Tangxi(塘西鎮), Zhejiang(浙江), there was a boatman named Ma Nanzhen(馬南箴). One night, he was paddling a small boat on the river. On the shore, there was an old lady with her daughter, signaling the boat, requesting passage. Several passengers on the boat advised Ma Nanzhen to ignore her and refuse to ferry the old lady. However, Ma Nanzhen said, ‘It’s late at night, and they are women without a place to stay.
Yang Kaxiong(楊喀雄)’s father served as a military officer but passed away early. His paternal uncle, Zhou, held the position of deputy general, stationed in Hezhou(河州). Feeling sympathetic for the young and orphaned Yang Kaxiong, he took him in and raised him. Zhou had a daughter who took a liking to the young and clever Kaxiong. She often gave him food. Despite their closeness, there was no impropriety between Zhou’s daughter and Kaxiong.
The Huan(䍺)’s shape is like a sheep’s, it has no mouth, but it will not starve.
又東四百裏，曰洵山，其陽多金，其陰多玉。有獸焉，其狀如羊而無口，不可殺也，其名曰䍺。
《山海經 南次二經》
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
During the reign of Emperor Yongzheng(雍正), a wealthy man in the capital arranged a marriage for his son. The bride’s family was also from a prestigious background, residing outside the Shahe Gate(沙河門).
As the bride rode in the bridal carriage, attendants and horses surrounded it. Passing by an ancient tomb, a fierce wind suddenly rose from the grave, swirling around the bridal carriage multiple times. The gusts of sand it raised made it impossible to keep one’s eyes open, causing pedestrians on the road to scatter.
In the capital, there was a man named Ye(葉某), who was very close to Wang Si(王四) from Yizhou(易州). On the seventh day of the seventh month, it was Wang Si’s sixtieth birthday. Ye rode a donkey to wish him well. When he reached Fangshan County(房山), it was already dark. Suddenly, a tall man on horseback approached him and asked where he was headed. Ye truthfully told him his destination. The man was delighted and said, ‘Wang Si is my cousin; I am also heading there.
