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.
They often have a long history and cultural background. These novels are deeply rooted in Chinese history and traditional values. For instance, 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' reflects the political and military wisdom of ancient China.
There were many Chinese folktales and legends.
1 Journey to the West: The story of Sun Wukong and the others who went to the Western Paradise is one of the most famous mythological novels in ancient China.
The Legend of the White Snake: It tells the story of the White Lady stealing the immortal grass, saving her husband, fighting monsters and so on. It is one of the most famous love myths in China.
Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio: It is one of the most famous collections of short stories in China.
The Romance of the Gods: The story of Jiang Ziya helping King Wen of Zhou to crusade against the Shang Dynasty is one of the most famous myths in China.
5 Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai: The story of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai falling in love but being opposed by their parents is one of the most famous love legends in China.
The Origin of the White Snake: The story of the White Lady rediscovering Xu Xian is one of the most recent movies released in China.
These legends held a very important position in the hearts of the Chinese people, and were widely spread and deeply rooted in their hearts.
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.
The legends of Chinese immortals and ghosts had a long and rich history. The following are some of the famous legends of Chinese immortals and ghosts:
1 Journey to the West: It tells the story of the adventures of Sun Wukong and the other Buddhist monks in the West. It involved all kinds of immortals and ghosts, such as the demon ox demon king, the demon flaming mountain, and so on.
Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio: It is a collection of classic Chinese short stories, including many stories of immortals and ghosts. One of the most famous stories was the Legend of the White Snake, which was about the love story between the White Lady and Xu Xian, involving all kinds of immortals and ghosts.
3. The Romance of the Gods: It was another classic ancient Chinese novel that told the story of Jiang Shang and others leading King Wu to conquer Zhou. It involved all kinds of immortals and ghosts, such as the fox demon Zi Xu, the Yellow Turban uprising, and so on.
4. Water margin: It tells the story of Lin Chong and other Liangshan heroes rebelling against the imperial court. It involved all kinds of immortals and ghosts, such as Black Whirlwind Li Kui, Ghost Spirit Huang Wenbing, and so on.
Dream of the Red Chamber: It tells the life stories of Jia Baoyu and other noble figures. It involved all kinds of immortals and ghosts, such as the ghost Lin Daiyu and the monster Grandmother Jia.
These legends not only contained images of various immortals and ghosts, but also involved knowledge about traditional Chinese culture, historical events, ethics and morality. They were an important part of Chinese cultural traditions.
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.
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.
One of the famous works could be 'Journey to the West'. It tells the story of the Monkey King and his companions on a pilgrimage. The characters are vivid, and the adventures are full of magic and challenges.