The Moving Sands , also known as the Flowing Sands ( Liúshā (流沙), "flowing-sand", or " quicksand "), is an important feature in the mythological geography of Chinese literature, including novels and poetry over a course of over two millennia from the Warring States to early Han dynasty era poetry of the Chuci onward to the present. In his poem " Li Sao ", author Qu Yuan describes an aerial crossing of the Moving (or Flowing) Sands on a shamanic spiritual Journey to Kunlun . "Moving Sands forms one of the obstacles the fictional version of the monk Xuanzang and companions must cross over on their mission to fetch the Buddhist scriptures from India and return them to Tang China. In this story, Xuanzang recruits the former sand demon and eater-of-humans Sha Wujing who is living in Moving Sands as his third disciple. Sometimes the Moving (or Flowing) Sands seem to depict drifting dunes or desert, sometimes a sand or quicksand -like river, in which case, in Chinese, it would be ( Liúshā-hé (流沙河, "flowing- sand river ", or " quicksand -river").
31-462: Chinese mythology and imagination developed an extensive collection of ideas, about mythological places and terrains, Moving Sands included. David Hawkes Says "Chu poets give this name to an unlocatable area in the mythical geography of the west, but no doubt it derives ultimately from travelers' tales of the Takla Makan desert" (Hawkes 1985, 332). Various mythological geography is associated with
62-462: A spirit journey visiting with spirits and deities. The poem's main themes include Qu Yuan's falling victim to intrigues in the court of Chu, and subsequent exile; his desire to remain pure and untainted by the corruption that was rife in the court; and also his lamentation at the gradual decline of the once-powerful state of Chu. The poet decides to leave and join Peng Xian ( Chinese : 彭咸 ),
93-590: A Western Paradise. Often this Paradise was presided over by Xiwangmu, the Queen Mother of Meng Hao in the West, in later accounts was relocated to a palace protected by golden ramparts, within which immortals ( xian ) feasted on bear paws, monkey lips, and the livers of dragons, served at the edge of the Lake of Gems. Every 6000 years the peaches which conferred immortality upon those who ate them would be served (except
124-661: A corrupt world. The poet alludes to being slandered by enemies and being rejected by the king he served ( King Huai of Chu ). Those men of faction had ill-gotten pleasures, Their paths went in shadow, narrow, unsafe. Not for myself came this dread of doom— I feared my king's chariot soon would be tipped. In haste I went dashing in front and behind, Till I came to the tracks of our kings before. Lord Iris did not fathom my nature within, He believed ill words, he glowered in rage. I knew well my bluntness had brought me these woes, Yet I bore through them, I could not forswear. I pointed to Heaven to serve as my warrant, It
155-513: A course of over two millennia from the Warring States to early Han dynasty era poetry of the Chuci onward. The Weak River is one of the mythological rivers flowing near Kunlun , home of a Western Paradise. The Weak River flowed with "water" so lacking in specific gravity that even a feather would not float, thus being a protective barrier against the unworthy, who otherwise would profane
186-554: A figure that many believe to be the God of Sun. Wang Yi , the Han dynasty commentator to the Chuci , believed Peng Xian to have been a Shang dynasty official who, legend says, drowned himself after his wise advice was rejected by the king (but this legend may have been of later make, influenced by the circumstances of Qu Yuan drowning himself). Peng Xian may also have been an ancient shaman who later came to symbolize hermit seclusion. It
217-485: A variety of divine or spiritual beings, with the theme of the righteous minister unfairly rejected sometimes becoming exaggerated in the long history of later literary criticism and allegorical interpretation. It dates from the time of King Huai of Chu , in the third century BCE. The meaning of the title " Li Sao " is not straightforward. In the biography of Qu Yuan, li sao is explained as being as equivalent to li you 'leaving with sorrow' ( Sima Qian , Shiji or
248-496: Is not only irremediably separated from his lord due to earthly rivers which are wide and bridgeless, but that his desire to visit the Hanging Garden of Kunlun is not possible due to his inability to pass the barrier of the "rushing Weak Water". Apparently he was less worthy than Qu Yuan and chose to write a poem lamenting this. The Weak River was often seen as a protective barrier against the profane and unworthy, protecting
279-422: Is now done forever! In all the kingdom there is no man, no man who knows me, Then why should I care for that city, my home? Since no one will join me in making good rule, I will go off to seek where Peng and Xian dwell. 已矣哉， 國無人莫我知兮， 又何懷乎故都？ 既莫足與為美政兮， 吾將從彭咸之所居。 The poem has a total of 373 lines and close to 2500 characters, which makes it one of the longest poems dating from Ancient China . It
310-478: Is the scene for all sorts of activities by deities, immortal, would-be immortals, and so on, and generally exists in an alternate reality of culture. However, both Ruo Shui rivers are directionally located in a somewhat northern and western way. Li Sao " Li Sao " ( Chinese : 離騷 ; pinyin : Lí Sāo ; translation: " Encountering Sorrow ") is an ancient Chinese poem from the anthology Chuci traditionally attributed to Qu Yuan . Li Sao dates from
341-523: The Records of the Grand Historian ). Inference must be made that 'meeting with sorrow' must have been meant. However, the 1st century CE scholar Ban Gu explicitly glossed the title as "encountering sorrow". The Li Sao begins with the poet's introduction of himself, his ancestry, and his former shamanic glory. Of the god-king Gao-yang I am the far offspring, My late honored sire bore
SECTION 10
#1732775869180372-463: The Chuci anthology included. In lines 349-350 of his poem " Li Sao ", Qu Yuan describes crossing over through the sky by means of a team of dragons: he soars above all obstacle rivers and hostile terrain at will during his spirit journey. The Li Sao helped set the tone for other poems of the Chuci , which also allude to this type of mythological geography. Real moving sands occur in and around China, in
403-482: The Chuci , which also allude to this type of mythical geography. Although Qu Yuan is largely credited for the Chuci material, other authors are also known. " Alas That My Lot Was Not Cast " was written by Zhuang Ji also known as Yan Ji in the second century BCE. Also known as "Ai shi ming" this poem is an example of the use of the Weak Water River as an image, where in lines 15-22 the poet laments that he
434-619: The 3rd century BCE, during the Chinese Warring States period . The poem "Li Sao" is in the Chuci collection and is traditionally attributed to Qu Yuan of the Kingdom of Chu , who died about 278 BCE. Qu Yuan manifests himself in a poetic character, in the tradition of Classical Chinese poetry , contrasting with the anonymous poetic voices encountered in the Shijing and the other early poems which exist as preserved in
465-511: The Gardens of Air. I wished to bide a while by the windows of gods, But swift was the sun and it soon would be dusk. I bade sun-driver Xi-he, to pause in her pace, To stand off from Yan-zi and not to draw night. On and on stretched my road, long it was and far, I would go high and go low in this search that I made. I watered my horses in the Pools of Xian, And twisted the reins on
496-642: The Moving Sands, including the Weak River , the Red River , and one or more of the eight mountain pillars , especially the (mythological) Kunlun Mountain and Jade Mountain (Yang 2005, 160-162). The Moving Sands feature in literature, both in poetry and novels. In the novel Journey to the West the Moving Sand river forms one of the barriers on the way, one of the many difficult areas which
527-672: The Xuanzang the Monk, Sun Wukong the Monkey, and their companion must cross over. By the mercy and help of the Buddhist goddess Guanyin , who by forethought and prior preparation made it happen, Xuanzang met his third disciple at the Moving (or Flowing) Sands, who joins them after a brief misunderstanding. The Moving Sands are referred to allusionly in various Chinese Classical poems, including
558-421: The Xuanzang the Monk, Sun Wukong the Monkey, and their companions must cross over. The Weak Water River is an allusion in various Chinese Classical poems, the early Chuci anthology included. Pulled through the sky by a team of dragons, Qu Yuan soars above all obstacle rivers and hostile terrain at will during his spirit journey as described in his poem " Li Sao ". The Li Sao helped set the tone for other poems of
589-462: The form of desert dunes, moved by wind and gravity. The Taklamakan Desert is one example. Quicksand is another phenomenon encountered in and around China Weak River The Weak River also known as the Weak Water or Ruoshui ( Chinese : 弱水 ; lit. 'weak water') is an important feature in the mythical geography of Chinese literature, including novels and poetry over
620-458: The form of incidental incorporations into various documents of ancient miscellany. The rest of the Chuci anthology is centered on the " Li Sao ", the purported biography of its author Qu Yuan. In " Li Sao ", the poet despairs that he has been plotted against by evil factions at court with his resulting rejection by his lord and then recounts a series of shamanistic spirit journeys to various mythological realms, engaging or attempting to engage with
651-490: The landscapes of ancient China, real and mythological. " Li Sao " is a seminal work in the large Chinese tradition of landscape and travel literature. I knelt with robes open, thus stated my case, Having grasped so clearly what is central and right. I teamed jade white dragons, rode the Bird that Hides Sky, Waiting on winds to fleetly fare upward. At dawn I loosed wheel-block there by Cang-wu, And by twilight I reached
SECTION 20
#1732775869180682-588: The modern river of that name was named for its seasonal weak flow in its lower reaches: the mythological Weak River was named for the inability of the liquid substance constituting it to float any objects. Another difference is that the geographical river rises as the Heishui ( 黑水 , black water ) on the north slopes of the Qilian Mountains, a major river system of northern China , then flowing approximately 630 kilometres (390 mi) from its headwaters on
713-733: The name of Bo-yong. The she-ti stars aimed to the year's first month; Geng-yin was the day that I came down. He scanned and delved into my first measure, From the portents my sire gave these noble names: The name that he gave me was Upright Standard; And my title of honor was Godly Poise. Such bounty I had of beauty within, And to this was added fair countenance. I wore mantles of river rush and remote angelica, Strung autumn orchids to hang from my sash. 帝高陽之苗裔兮， 朕皇考曰伯庸。 攝提貞于孟陬兮， 惟庚寅吾以降。 皇覽揆余初度兮， 肇錫余以嘉名。 名余曰正則兮， 字余曰靈均。 紛吾既有此內美兮， 又重之以脩能。 扈江離與辟芷兮， 紐秋蘭以為佩。 He references his current situation, and then recounts his fantastical physical and spiritual trip across
744-700: The northern Gansu side of the Qilian Mountains , on a spur of the Kunlun range, north-northeast into the endorheic Ejin Basin in the Gobi Desert , forming one of the largest inland deltas or alluvial fans in the world, its drainage basin covering about 78,600 square kilometres (30,300 sq mi) in Gansu and Inner Mongolia : on the other hand, the mythological Ruoshui River circles Kunlun and
775-521: The paradise on Kunlun, and perhaps even climb up to Heaven and disturb the deities and other inhabitants residing there. In the novel Journey to the West , the Weak Water River forms one of the obstacles the fictional version of the monk Xuanzang , the magic monkey Sun Wukong , and companions must cross over on their mission to fetch the Buddhist scriptures from India and return them to Tang China. Chinese mythology and imagination developed an extensive collection of ideas. The Weak River, or Weak Water,
806-592: The time when they were purloined by Monkey King ). However, as a barrier The Weak Water River would be crossed over by those who were worthy, such as immortals ( xian ), humans who had metamorphosed into superhuman form, or those well on the Way to immortality. The xian were often seen as guests who visited by means of flying on the back of a magical crane or dragon. The Wu or shamans were people that practiced divination, prayer, sacrifice, rainmaking, and healing: they in specialized traveling by spirit flight, induced through
837-514: The tree Fu-sang, I snapped a branch of the Ruo Tree to block out the sun, I roamed freely the while and lingered there. 跪敷衽以陳辭兮， 耿吾既得此中正。 駟玉虯以乘鷖兮， 溘埃風余上徵。 朝發軔於蒼梧兮， 夕余至乎縣圃。 欲少留此靈瑣兮， 日忽忽其將暮。 吾令羲和弭節兮， 望崦嵫而勿迫。 路曼曼其脩遠兮， 吾將上下而求索。 飲余馬於咸池兮， 總余轡乎扶桑。 折若木以拂日兮， 聊逍遙以相羊。 " Li Sao " is also a political allegory in which the poet laments that his own righteousness, purity, and honor are unappreciated and go unused in
868-506: The usual shamanic means. There is a real, geographical Ruo Sui ( Chinese : 弱水 ; lit. 'weak water' also Etsin Gol or Ruo He or Ejin River). This Ruoshui ("Weak River") is not identical with the mythological Weak River. Are there historical points of tangency? What is the relationship between the two? One major difference between the modern river and the mythological river is that
899-459: Was all for the cause of the Holy One. 惟黨人之偷樂兮， 路幽昧以險隘。 豈余身之憚殃兮， 恐皇輿之敗績。 忽奔走以先後兮， 及前王之踵武。 荃不察余之忠情兮， 反信讒而齌怒。 余固知謇謇之為患兮， 忍而不能舍也。 指九天以為正兮， 夫唯靈脩之故也。 As a representative work of Chu poetry it makes use of a wide range of metaphors derived from the culture of Chu, which was strongly associated with a Chinese form of shamanism , and the poet spends much of " Li Sao " on
930-519: Was influenced by ideas from the cosmology of India related to Mount Sumeru as an axis mundi , together with related cosmological features, such as rivers. Also India was the goal of the Buddhist priest Xuanzang and his companions in the Journey to the West . In the novel Journey to the West the Weak Water river forms one of the barriers on the way, one of the many difficult areas which
961-531: Was so-called because nothing could float in it. Various mythological geography is associated with the Weak River, including one or more of the eight mountain pillars , especially the (mythological) Kunlun Mountain , the Red River , intervening terrain, such as the Moving Sands . Jade Mountain was also in the vicinity. As the mythology of the Weak River and related mythical geography developed, it