东方朔

Dongfang Shuo is a figure of considerable legend in ancient China, and the works attributed to him are commonly classified under Eastern philosophy and classical literature. As far as this site's holdings are concerned, there are three works bearing his name, the representative ones being Records of the Ten Continents Within the Seas and Classic of the Divine and Strange (unannotated edition). Records of the Ten Continents Within the Seas describes the geography and marvels of immortal continents beyond the seas, while the Classic of the Divine and Strange collects accounts of strange peoples, creatures, and supernatural legends from various regions. Both are notable for their rich imagination and concise style, and both carry a strong flavor of mythological geography. Public information about Dongfang Shuo's dates of birth and death, native place, and life is limited, and this site makes no conjectures about them. Reading the works attributed to him offers both the pleasure of classical tales of the strange and writings on geography and natural curiosities, and insight into how later immortal legends took shape and evolved.