Dublin Core
Title
A legendary tale of Zhang Qian’s mission to the West
Subject
the Legend of the Queen Mother of the West and emperor Wu's wish for eternal life
Description
According to the Shiji, emperor Wu used to seek the method of eternal life at the end of East-China, so he order his own priests to look for the god’s trace but was not successful. It is said that someone incidentally saw the goddess, Queen Mother of the west, who is in charge of the common life, in Parthia. Therefore I deduced that the reason for Zhang Qian to go to the Western regions a second time for was finding this goddess. Next we are going to demonstrate this topic in five parts.
Part. 1 the legend of West Queen Mother in the Western regions in Shiji and Hanshu.
Part. 2 introduction of Queen Mother of the west and Weak River.
(1) Originally, from the earliest known depictions of her in the Classic of Mountains and Seas during the Zhou dynasty, she was a ferocious goddess with the teeth of a tiger, who sent pestilence down upon the world. After her adoption into the Taoist pantheon, she was transformed into the goddess of life and immortality.
(2) Ruoshui, 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, so it is called as the river of weak.
(3) Elisabeth Benard, Beverly Moon, Goddesses who rule, 12, 197
(1) Originally, from the earliest known depictions of her in the Classic of Mountains and Seas during the Zhou dynasty, she was a ferocious goddess with the teeth of a tiger, who sent pestilence down upon the world. After her adoption into the Taoist pantheon, she was transformed into the goddess of life and immortality.
(2) Ruoshui, 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, so it is called as the river of weak.
(3) Elisabeth Benard, Beverly Moon, Goddesses who rule, 12, 197
Part. 3 Why does the goddess relate to Parthia and China?
firstly we need to know where the goddess is living.
Zhuangzi describes the Queen Mother as one of the highest of the deities, meaning she had gained immortality and celestial powers. Zhuangzi also states that Xiwangmu is seated upon a spiritual western mountain range, suggesting she is connected to not only the heavens, but also to the west.
# The Weak River was often seen as a protective barrier against the profane and unworthy, protecting a Western Paradise. Often this Paradise was presided over by Xiwangmu, the Queen Mother of Meng Hao in the West.
# Zhuangzi, Taoism's successor, once said: "The Queen Mother of the West obtained it [the Dao] and took up her seat at Mount Shaoguang. No one knows her beginning; no one knows her end."
Secondly we need to know where Mount Shaoguang is.
It is said to be the name of a mountain, or cave, in the extreme west, or the name of the Western Realm. Another account of the Western Queen Mother is found in the Shanhaijing - Xishanjing, where it is written that Mount Yu "is also the residence of the Western Queen Mother, so we can believe that Mount Shaoguang refers to the west, but no specific place.
firstly we need to know where the goddess is living.
Zhuangzi describes the Queen Mother as one of the highest of the deities, meaning she had gained immortality and celestial powers. Zhuangzi also states that Xiwangmu is seated upon a spiritual western mountain range, suggesting she is connected to not only the heavens, but also to the west.
# The Weak River was often seen as a protective barrier against the profane and unworthy, protecting a Western Paradise. Often this Paradise was presided over by Xiwangmu, the Queen Mother of Meng Hao in the West.
# Zhuangzi, Taoism's successor, once said: "The Queen Mother of the West obtained it [the Dao] and took up her seat at Mount Shaoguang. No one knows her beginning; no one knows her end."
Secondly we need to know where Mount Shaoguang is.
It is said to be the name of a mountain, or cave, in the extreme west, or the name of the Western Realm. Another account of the Western Queen Mother is found in the Shanhaijing - Xishanjing, where it is written that Mount Yu "is also the residence of the Western Queen Mother, so we can believe that Mount Shaoguang refers to the west, but no specific place.
Part. 4 Why did the emperor want to look for the goddess in Parthia?
Why did Emperor Wu look for the Queen Mother of the West. My view is that the Emperor Wu of Han failed in his pursuit of becoming immortal in Penglai island in the East. There is a description in ShiJi, ruler 12.
Why did Emperor Wu look for the Queen Mother of the West. My view is that the Emperor Wu of Han failed in his pursuit of becoming immortal in Penglai island in the East. There is a description in ShiJi, ruler 12.
Conclusion:
So I deduce that after hearing of the appearance of the Queen Mother of the West in Anxi after Zhangqian returns from western regions emperor Wu incidentally asked Zhang Qian to go on a quest. But the main reason for Zhang Qian's trip to the Western Regions was still war. There is no doubt about it.
So I deduce that after hearing of the appearance of the Queen Mother of the West in Anxi after Zhangqian returns from western regions emperor Wu incidentally asked Zhang Qian to go on a quest. But the main reason for Zhang Qian's trip to the Western Regions was still war. There is no doubt about it.
Part. 5
Fanye's attitude for this thing.
Fanye's attitude for this thing.
Creator
Zhang Dong
Source
1.SiMa QIan, ShiJi
2. Fanye, Hou Hanshu
3. ZhuangZi， Zhuangzi
4. Elisabeth Benard, Beverly Moon, Goddesses who rule, 12, 197
2. Fanye, Hou Hanshu
3. ZhuangZi， Zhuangzi
4. Elisabeth Benard, Beverly Moon, Goddesses who rule, 12, 197
Publisher
1. 中华书局
2. Oxford University Press
3. Columbia University Press
2. Oxford University Press
3. Columbia University Press
Rights
1. Copyright © 2000 by Oxford University Press, Inc.
2. 1961 Columbia University Press
3. Revised Edition ⑧ 1993 Columbia University Press All Rights Reserved.ISBN 0-231-08166-9 ISBN O-231-08167-7 (pbk.)Library of Congress Number 92-210621
Published by The Research Centre for Translation The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Columbia University Press
2. 1961 Columbia University Press
3. Revised Edition ⑧ 1993 Columbia University Press All Rights Reserved.ISBN 0-231-08166-9 ISBN O-231-08167-7 (pbk.)Library of Congress Number 92-210621
Published by The Research Centre for Translation The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Columbia University Press
Language
Ancient Chinese; English (translation)
Type
literary sources
Literary Sources Item Type Metadata
Work:
Shiji
Hanshu
Goddesses Who Rule
Original Text:
Part. 1
(史记，卷一百二十三，大宛列传第六十三）
条枝在安息⻄数千⾥，临⻄海...安息⻓⽼传闻条枝有弱⽔、⻄王⺟，⽽未尝⻅。或云其国⻄有弱⽔、流沙，近⻄王⺟所居处，⼏于⽇所⼊也。
——《汉书》
(史记，卷一百二十三，大宛列传第六十三）
条枝在安息⻄数千⾥，临⻄海...安息⻓⽼传闻条枝有弱⽔、⻄王⺟，⽽未尝⻅。或云其国⻄有弱⽔、流沙，近⻄王⺟所居处，⼏于⽇所⼊也。
——《汉书》
Part. 2
(Elisabeth Benard, Beverly Moon, Goddesses who rule, 12, 197)
The Queen Mother of the West (Xiwangmu) is an ancient Chinese goddess of obscure origin. Her name reveals some of her most important characteristics: She is royal, female, and associated with the west. The West in her name refers to the western direction, associated in ancient China with death, the spirit world, and tigers, among many other things. She may have the longest unbroken history of any deity in China, with origins perhaps going back to oracle bone inscriptions of the fifteenth century bce that record blood sacrifices to a "western mother.
(Elisabeth Benard, Beverly Moon, Goddesses who rule, 12, 197)
The Queen Mother of the West (Xiwangmu) is an ancient Chinese goddess of obscure origin. Her name reveals some of her most important characteristics: She is royal, female, and associated with the west. The West in her name refers to the western direction, associated in ancient China with death, the spirit world, and tigers, among many other things. She may have the longest unbroken history of any deity in China, with origins perhaps going back to oracle bone inscriptions of the fifteenth century bce that record blood sacrifices to a "western mother.
Part. 4
(史记，卷十二，孝武本纪第十二）
少君言于上曰：“祠灶则致物，致物而丹沙可化为黄金，黄金成以为饮食器则益寿，益寿而海中蓬莱仙者可见，见之以封禅则不死，黄帝是也。
... ...
居久之，李少君病死。天子以为化去不死也，而使黄锤史宽舒受其方。求蓬莱安期生莫能得。
... ...
今上封禅，其后十二岁而还，遍于五岳、四渎矣。而方士之候祠神人，入海求蓬莱，终无有验... 天子益怠厌方士之怪迂语矣，然终羁縻弗绝，冀遇其真。
(史记，卷十二，孝武本纪第十二）
少君言于上曰：“祠灶则致物，致物而丹沙可化为黄金，黄金成以为饮食器则益寿，益寿而海中蓬莱仙者可见，见之以封禅则不死，黄帝是也。
... ...
居久之，李少君病死。天子以为化去不死也，而使黄锤史宽舒受其方。求蓬莱安期生莫能得。
... ...
今上封禅，其后十二岁而还，遍于五岳、四渎矣。而方士之候祠神人，入海求蓬莱，终无有验... 天子益怠厌方士之怪迂语矣，然终羁縻弗绝，冀遇其真。
Part. 5
(后汉书，卷八十八，西域传第七十八)
诸国所生奇异玉石诸物，谲怪多不经，故不记云.
(后汉书，卷八十八，西域传第七十八)
诸国所生奇异玉石诸物，谲怪多不经，故不记云.
Translation:
Part. 1
Tiaozhi is situated several thousand li west of Anxi and borders the Western Sea... The old men of Anxi say they have heard that in Tiaozhi are to be found the River of Weak Water and the Queen Mother of the west, though they admit that they have never seen either of them. (ShiJi)
It is said that to the west of this kingdom[Rome] is Ruo-Shui [the ‘Weak River’] and Liu-Sha [the ‘Shifting
Sands’] which are close to the place where Xi-Wang-Mu [‘Spirit-Mother of the West’] lives, and which go almost as far as the place where the sun sets. (Hou Hanshu)
Tiaozhi is situated several thousand li west of Anxi and borders the Western Sea... The old men of Anxi say they have heard that in Tiaozhi are to be found the River of Weak Water and the Queen Mother of the west, though they admit that they have never seen either of them. (ShiJi)
It is said that to the west of this kingdom[Rome] is Ruo-Shui [the ‘Weak River’] and Liu-Sha [the ‘Shifting
Sands’] which are close to the place where Xi-Wang-Mu [‘Spirit-Mother of the West’] lives, and which go almost as far as the place where the sun sets. (Hou Hanshu)
Part. 4
Li Shaojun once said to the emperor:“sacrificing to the god of stove will be able to invoke the gods and smelt the vermilion into the gold, after that refining the gold will be able to cast the food and drink utensils, the use of such utensils will be able to benefit life and prolong life, after prolonging life will be able to see the immortals god of Penglai Island in the East China Sea, then after held the ceremony of the sacrificing earth and sky you will be able to live forever, like “The Yellow Emperor” did so.”
... ...
After a long time, Li Shaojun fell ill and died. The emperor thought that he had become immortal instead of dying, and ordered Kuan Shu, a subordinate official of Donglai County, to learn his sacrificial method. But visiting to the immortal god of Penglai did not succeed.
...
Since twelve years of the emperor held the sacrificial ceremony, the sacrifice has spread to the whole territory of Han. And the priests, who have waited and sacrificed to the gods, used to enter the East sea to seek Penglai Island, and they has never succeeded... The Son of Heaven was even more tired of the fanciful talk of the gods, but he still enlisted them, refusing to break off communication, always hoping to meet the real gods.
Li Shaojun once said to the emperor:“sacrificing to the god of stove will be able to invoke the gods and smelt the vermilion into the gold, after that refining the gold will be able to cast the food and drink utensils, the use of such utensils will be able to benefit life and prolong life, after prolonging life will be able to see the immortals god of Penglai Island in the East China Sea, then after held the ceremony of the sacrificing earth and sky you will be able to live forever, like “The Yellow Emperor” did so.”
... ...
After a long time, Li Shaojun fell ill and died. The emperor thought that he had become immortal instead of dying, and ordered Kuan Shu, a subordinate official of Donglai County, to learn his sacrificial method. But visiting to the immortal god of Penglai did not succeed.
...
Since twelve years of the emperor held the sacrificial ceremony, the sacrifice has spread to the whole territory of Han. And the priests, who have waited and sacrificed to the gods, used to enter the East sea to seek Penglai Island, and they has never succeeded... The Son of Heaven was even more tired of the fanciful talk of the gods, but he still enlisted them, refusing to break off communication, always hoping to meet the real gods.
Part. 5
They [the vassal kingdoms of Da Qin] produce curious gems and so many other peculiar and bizarre things that I will not record what is reported.
They [the vassal kingdoms of Da Qin] produce curious gems and so many other peculiar and bizarre things that I will not record what is reported.