In Chinese Taoist myths and legends, there was a character known as the God of Sleep. He loved to sleep and often slept until the afternoon. His name was Zhang Sanfeng. He was one of the founders of the Zhang Sanfeng School of Taoism and also the founder of Taiji Fist. It was said that Zhang Sanfeng would often sleep for months when he practiced Taiji Fist. He would only practice it when he woke up. Therefore, he was known as one of the most sleepy-loving characters in Chinese Taoist myths and legends.
Chinese Taoist mythology and legends referred to the manifestation of Taoist thinking in Chinese mythology and legends. In Chinese legends, Taoism advocated that people should pursue the harmony between nature and the universe. Some representatives of Taoism such as Lao Tzu and Zhuang Zi were also described as existences connected with heaven and earth. One of the more famous Taoist myths was the "Beyond the Nine Clouds" in the Investiture of the Gods. According to legend, the founder of Taoism, Lao Tzu, turned into a white crane and flew into the clouds after he left the human world. There, he met another founder of Taoism, Zhuang Zi, and they discussed the nature of all things in the world together. This story expressed the Taoist thinking about the relationship between the universe and humans. In addition, Taoism often appeared in other stories in Chinese mythology, such as the story of Sun Wukong and Lao Tzu in Journey to the West and Confucius in Water Margins. These stories not only reflected the influence of Taoism, but also showed the richness of Chinese traditional culture.
Chinese Taoist myths and legends referred to some legends and myths about Taoist thoughts and myths in Chinese cultural traditions. These stories were usually related to the universe, nature, souls, immortals, and other topics. The following are some examples of Chinese Taoist myths and legends: 1. Pangu created the world: Legend has it that Pangu was the founder of Chinese Taoism. He was born in chaos and used an axe to cut open heaven and earth to create the world. His body continued to grow and eventually died, and his body parts turned into all things, including mountains, plants, stars, rivers, and so on. 2. Shennong tasted all kinds of herbs: Legend has it that Shennong was one of the important representatives of Chinese Taoism. He tasted all kinds of herbs and invented many medicines. After his death, his spirit and body turned into medicine and became the King Pharmacist of the Chinese nation. 3. Immortal's Cave: Legend has it that many immortals live in their caves and have extraordinary abilities and divine powers. These caves were usually occupied by immortals, demons, and so on, and mortals could not enter. Taoist school: Taoist school is one of the most important schools of thought in Chinese cultural tradition. It advocates the idea of "Tao" and "inaction". Taoism believed that the essence of the universe was Tao, and people should follow the laws of Tao and live naturally without doing anything to achieve the realm of transcendence. These Chinese Taoist myths and legends not only reflected the essence of Chinese traditional culture and thought, but also had high artistic and cultural value.
Chinese myths and legends were an important part of ancient Chinese culture. Chinese myths and legends were mainly divided into four categories: ancient myths, religious myths, folk myths, and literary myths. Ancient myths included Pangu's creation of the world, Nuwa's creation of the sky, Jingwei's reclamation of the sea, Kuafu's pursuit of the sun, and other famous stories. Religious myths involved some gods and mythological figures, such as Haotian, Fuxi, and Nuwa. Folk myths included some unpopular but meaningful stories, such as the legend of Jiang Ziwen and Qingxi. Literature myths were stories passed down through literature, such as the Seven Monsters of Meishan in the Investiture of the Gods. Chinese myths and legends have rich cultural value and artistic charm, reflecting the Chinese people's understanding and belief in nature and society.
There are many Chinese myths and legends, and the following are some of the famous ones: 1. Pangu created the world: Legend has it that Pangu was the first god in Chinese mythology. After his death, his body turned into heaven and earth, so he was called Pangu. His sacrifice created a new order for heaven and earth, and his body kept splitting into mountains, rivers, earth, and all living beings. Shennong tasted hundreds of herbs: Shennong was an agricultural god in ancient Chinese legends. He was known as the "God of Medicine" because he tasted all kinds of herbs and found ways to treat various diseases for people. According to legend, the story of Shennong tasting hundreds of herbs could be traced back to the Warring States Period. Nüwa mends the sky: Nüwa is a goddess in Chinese mythology. She is considered one of the heroes who created the world. Legend had it that she used the Multicolored Stone to repair the sky so that it would no longer cave in and also created life for humans. 4. Jingwei Reclaims the Sea: Jingwei is a bird god in Chinese mythology. She is believed to be the goddess who punishes laziness and waste. Legend has it that she once transformed into a bird and used her wings to dive into the sea in an attempt to fill it up. The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl: The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl are a pair of lovers in Chinese mythology. Their love story has been sung for a long time. According to legend, they met on the seventh day of July every year, so it was also known as the "Qixi Festival". Legend of the White Snake: The Legend of the White Snake is a famous love story in China. It tells the love story between the white snake and Xu Xian. The background of the story was the legend of Hangzhou in ancient China. The White Snake was the incarnation of the White Lady. She was willing to exchange her body for her husband Xu Xian. These are some of the famous stories in Chinese myths and legends. They not only have profound cultural implications, but are also an important part of Chinese literature.
In Taoist myths and legends, rain was created by the Emperor of Heaven. The Emperor of Heaven was one of the highest gods in Taoism. He was considered to be the master of the sun and the moon, as well as the creator of mountains, rivers, plants, insects and other things. According to legend, the Emperor of Heaven created clouds, fog, rain, thunder and other natural phenomena and sent them to the human world to bring moisture and vitality to the world. There were many stories and legends about the Emperor of Heaven and rain in the Taoist classics. For example, in the Tao Te Ching, the Heavenly Emperor was known as the Taiqing Taishang Laojun and was considered the creator and ruler of all things. In the Tranquil Daoist Scripture, the Celestial Emperor was called the " Celestial Emperor Taihao ", and his wife was the " Goddess Baiyun ", who was responsible for controlling the rain and natural phenomena. Therefore, in Taoist myths and legends, rain was created by the Emperor of Heaven. He was regarded as the creator and ruler of all things in the world, as well as the source of water and moisture for the human world.
There were many myths and legends in ancient China, among which the more famous ones were "Investiture of the Gods,""Journey to the West,""Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio," and so on. These novels were classic works of ancient Chinese literature. They described all kinds of gods, monsters, ghosts, immortals, and other characters. They told the origin and evolution of various myths and legends. Among them, the Investiture of the Gods was considered one of the representative works of ancient Chinese myths and legends. It told the story of Jiang Ziya helping King Wen of Zhou at the end of the Shang Dynasty to crusade against the Shang Dynasty. Journey to the West was a classic Chinese mythology story about Sun Wukong and others who went to the Western Paradise to obtain scriptures. "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" was a collection of short stories based on the stories of a Chinese Studio. It described many stories of immortals, monsters, and ghosts. It was considered a legendary work in ancient Chinese myths and legends.
There are many stories in Chinese mythology, some of which are famous, such as "The Heavenly Dog Swallows the Moon,""All Birds Pay Homage to the Phoenix," and "The Divine Farmer Tasts All Herbs." " The Heavenly Dog Swallows the Moon " told the story of how people in ancient times did not know the reason for the lunar eclipse. They thought that the Heavenly Dog swallowed the moon, so people made sounds to scare the Heavenly Dog away and made it spit out the moon. " All Birds Pay Homage to the Phoenix " was about a hardworking phoenix who collected the fruits that other birds had thrown away and saved the other birds during the drought in the forest. Shen Nong Tasting Hundred Herbs told the story of Shen Nong's identification of herbs. He invented medicine and agriculture and made great contributions to the people. These stories had rich meanings and cultural significance.
There were many ancient Chinese myths and legends, and the more famous ones included Journey to the West, Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, Investiture of the Gods, and Water Margins. These novels were the treasures of ancient Chinese literature. Not only did they have high literary value, but they also contained rich cultural implications and philosophical thinking. Among them, Journey to the West was regarded as one of the representative works of Chinese mythology and legend. It told the story of Sun Wukong and others who finally obtained the true scripture after going through 81 difficulties. Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio was a collection of short stories about ghosts and monsters. There were many thrilling and magnificent stories. " Investiture of the Gods " told the story of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties. It involved many characters such as immortals, monsters, and mortals. It showed the political, philosophical, and religious concepts and thoughts of ancient Chinese society. " Water Margins " was a story about a group of righteous thieves at the end of the Song Dynasty. It showed the dark side of human nature and the struggle between the forces of justice. These novels all had unique charm and far-reaching influence. They were classics in the history of Chinese literature.
Chinese mythology and Taoist mythology were not the same thing. Chinese mythology and Taoist mythology are both important parts of Chinese traditional culture, but their origins and development backgrounds are different, with different characteristics and forms of expression. Chinese mythology refers to the ancient Chinese people's understanding and belief in nature and the universe, including many myths and legends, such as Pangu's creation of the world, the Three Emperors and Five Emperors, and the descent of fairies to the world. These myths reflected the religious beliefs, cultural traditions, and social history of the ancient Chinese people. Taoist mythology originated from the Han Dynasty of China. It emphasized the concept and spirit of Taoism, including immortals, Taoists, Taoist doctrines, and so on. Taoist mythology is very different from ancient Chinese mythology in religious belief and cultural content. It pays more attention to philosophical thinking and religious experience in the form of expression. Although there are similarities between Chinese mythology and Taoist mythology, they are not the same thing. They have different origins, developments, and manifestations.
Ancient Chinese myths and legends were preserved in ancient books such as Classic of Mountains and Seas, Journey to the West, Water Margins, Dream of the Red Chamber, and other novels. These novels were all ancient Chinese literary works, which contained a large number of mythical and legendary elements, and became an important part of Chinese culture.