Red River (mythology)
A mythological river flowing from Kunlun in Chinese lore.
The Red River, also known as the Red Water or Scarlet River, is a mythological river in Chinese literature, appearing in works from the Warring States period through early Han dynasty poetry such as the Chuci. It is one of the rivers said to flow from the mythical land of Kunlun, and it features prominently in poetic accounts of spirit journeys.
Quick Facts
- Also known as
- Red Water, Scarlet River
- Associated mythological geography
- Kunlun Mountain
- Weak River
- Black River
- Moving Sands
- Jade Mountain
- Notable appearance
- Qu Yuan's poem 'Li Sao' (line 350, Hawkes numbering)
- Mentioned in
- Shanhaijing, chapter 16
Facts from the source article.
Mythical geography
The Red River is part of a broader mythical geography often located in the west. It is associated with the eight mountain pillars, especially Kunlun Mountain, as well as the Weak River, the Black River, the Moving Sands, and Jade Mountain. As western regions were charted, real features sometimes received mythological names, and actual phenomena may have influenced mythical geography.
Ideas
The mythology of the Red River was shaped by cosmological ideas from India, particularly Mount Sumeru as an axis mundi and its associated rivers. India, as the destination of the Buddhist priest Xuanzang in Journey to the West, became part of a fictional geography spanning from Tang China. In the Chuci anthology, the Red River appears in Qu Yuan's poem 'Li Sao', where he undertakes a spirit journey pulled by winged dragons. He leaves the Ford of Heaven in the morning, reaches Kunlun by nightfall, and at line 350 encounters the Red Water after crossing the Moving Sands. He surmounts it by summoning water dragons to form a bridge and is conducted across by a Deity of the West. The Red River was often thought to flow from Kunlun, sometimes located in the south seas or considered the focal point of a Western Paradise. This paradise was later presided over by Xiwangmu, the Queen Mother of the West, whose palace was protected by golden ramparts and inhabited by immortals (xian) and shamans (wu) who practiced divination, prayer, sacrifice, rainmaking, and healing through spirit flight.
Real Red Rivers
Several modern rivers or river sections in China bear a name meaning 'Red River'. Another major Asian river, also called the Red River, originates in the Hengduan Mountains and flows through northern Vietnam. The relationship between real and mythological rivers is complicated by historical name changes and variations, including interchangeable Chinese characters for 'water', 'river', or 'stream', and remains open to further study.
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