East Sea (Chinese literature)

The East Sea (Chinese: 東海; pinyin: Dōng Hǎi), one of the Four Seas, is identified as the body of water east of the mainland according to ancient Chinese geography. In Chinese literature, the Four Seas are a metaphor for the boundaries of China.[1] It contains modern day East China Sea as well as the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea.

In Chinese mythology, East Sea is the domain of Ao Guang, the Donghai Longwang (東海龍王), or "the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea", who is responsible for controlling its storms and tides. Supposedly, the Dragon King resides in a large "dragon palace", the Donghai Longgong (東海龍宮), located at its bottom.

References

  1. ↑ Chang, Chun-shu (2007). The Rise of the Chinese Empire: Nation, State, and Imperialism in Early China, ca. 1600 B.C. – A.D. 8. University of Michigan Press. pp. 263–264. ISBN 978-0-472-11533-4.

See also


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/1/2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.