For information on the Huainanzi, see source 1.7.

The Huainanzi passages below, both from a chapter titled “Terrestrial Forms” (Dixing), reflect early Han modes of understanding the relationship between geographical space and human difference. The first passage describes the Chinese heartland of the North China Plain (interpreted as the “center”) and its neighboring regions. The second passage describes imaginary lands beyond the sea, most of which are populated by strange monstrous peoples drawn from or inspired by the Shanhai jing.

The translations below are adapted from the complete translation of the Huainanzi by John S. Major, Sarah A. Queen, Andrew Seth Meyer, and Harold D. Roth, The Huainanzi: A Guide to the Theory and Practice of Government in Early Han China (New York: Columbia University Press, 2010).

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The east is where the water from streams and rivers converges and whence the sun and moon rise. The people of the east are heavy bodied and have small heads, prominent noses, and large mouths. They have raised shoulders like hawks and walk on tiptoe. All their bodily openings are channeled to their eyes…. The people there are tall and large; they become knowledgeable early but are not long-lived. The land there is suitable for wheat; it is full of tigers and leopards.

The south is where yang qi gathers. Heat and damp reside there. The people of the south have long bodies and are top-heavy. They have large mouths and prominent eyelids. All their bodily openings are channeled to their ears…. The people there mature early but die young. The land there is suitable for rice; it is full of rhinoceroses and elephants.

The west is a region of high ground. Rivers issue forth from there, and the sun and moon set there. The men of the west have ill-favored faces and misshapen necks but walk with dignity. All their bodily openings are channeled to their noses…. The people there are daring but not humane. The land there is suitable for millet; it is full of yaks and rhinoceroses.

The north is a dark and gloomy place where the sky is closed up. Cold and ice are gathered there…. The bodies of the people of the north are tightly knit, with short necks, broad shoulders, and low-slung buttocks. All their bodily openings are channeled to their genitals…. The people there are as stupid as animals but are long-lived. The land there is suitable for legumes; it is full of dogs and horses.

The center is where the wind and qi come together from all directions and is the place of confluence of the rains and the dew. The people of the center have large faces and short chins. They consider beards beautiful and dislike obesity. All their bodily openings are channeled to their mouths…. The people of the center are clever and sage-like and are good at government. The land there is suitable for all grains; it is full of cattle and sheep and various other domestic animals.

…

Beyond the seas are thirty-six countries.

In the region stretching from the northwest to the southwest, there are the Long-Legged People; the Sky-Dwelling People, the Sushen People, the White-Skinned People, the Fertile-Land People, the Female-Only People, the Male-Only People, the One-Legged People¹, the One-Armed People², and the Three-Bodied People³.

In the region stretching from the southwest to the southeast, there are the Protruding-Chest People, the Feathered People⁴, the Huantou Country People⁵, the Naked Country People, the Three Miao⁶, the Cross-Legged People, the Undying People⁷, the Hole-in-the-Chest People, the Reverse-Tongued People, the Hog-Snouted People, the Chisel-Toothed People, the Three-Headed People⁸, and the Long-Armed People.

In the region stretching from the southeast to the northeast, there are the Country of Giants, the Country of Noble Men, the Black-Toothed People, the Dark-Legged People⁹, the Hairy People, and the Laomin People¹⁰.

In the region stretching from the northeast to the northwest, there are the Tiptoe-Walking People¹¹, the Ribbon-Holding People, the Deep-Eyed People¹², the People Without Intestines¹³, the Flexible People¹⁴, the One-Eyed People, and the Wuji People.

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1. The Shanhai jing describes these people as having one arm and three eyes. ↩︎
2. The Shanhai jing describes these people as having one arm, one eye, and one nostril. ↩︎
3. The Shanhai jing describes these people as having one head on three bodies. ↩︎
4. The Shanhai jing describes these people as having long heads and feathered bodies. ↩︎
5. The Shanhai jing describes these as people with human faces, wings, and bird beaks. ↩︎
6. On the Three Miao, see source 1.7. ↩︎
7. The Shanhai jing describes these people as black-skinned and immortal. ↩︎
8. The Shanhai jing describes these people as having three heads on one body. ↩︎
9. Guo Pu’s (276-324) Shanhai jing commentary describes these as people with black skin from their thighs down, and dressed in clothes made out of fish scales. ↩︎
10. The Shanhai jing describes these people as black-skinned. ↩︎
11. The Shanhai jing describes these people as giants with gigantic feet. ↩︎
12. The Shanhai jing describes these people as having only one eye and one arm. ↩︎
13. The Shanhai jing describes these people as tall and without intestines in their bodies. ↩︎
14. According to the Shanhai jing, these people have only one hand and one foot, their knees are reversed, and their feet bend upward. ↩︎