Changshe of Mount Daxian, anonymous1667 Shanhaijing illustration
Printed長蛇 caption names bristles, drum/clapper voice and大咸山. The drawing coils the body into an unusual rounded pattern; it is not relabelled as a turtle. This later caption adds百尋 length, absent from the profile’s base notice. Physical Smithsonian edition1667; anonymous plate illustrator, GuoPu commentator and WuZhongheng editor; later pictorial witness, not date of ancient text composition.
Overview
Changshe is the serpent of Mount Daxian in the Shanhaijing’s first northern itinerary. Its hair or bristles resemble those of a pig, and its voice is compared with drum and wooden clapper sounds. The name evokes a long serpent, but the directly read passage does not assign a numerical length. Bristles and a percussive call are the securely described unusual features.
The mountain is presented as four-sided, difficult or impossible to ascend, and without vegetation. That setting does not identify a cave, a sleeping place, or a route by which a traveller encounters the snake. Unlike the Feiyi serpent passages, this entry provides no drought omen. It also gives no human-eating diet or dragon transformation. Keeping the sound and bristle comparisons separate from those other serpent traditions avoids creating a composite monster unsupported by its own witness.
Origins & earliest records
China; Shanhaijing Northern Mountains
Records & interpretation
Named primary-text transcription directly read; exact historical illustration pending.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Shanhaijing, Northern Mountains
First northern itinerary; Mount Daxian
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
Primary records and illustrations
Shanhaijing
Northern Mountains. First northern itinerary; Mount Daxian
Directly read primary-text transcription. Identifying passage: 其毛如彘豪，其音如鼓柝. Historical plate not yet matched.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary text transcriptionShanhaijing: Northern Mountains, received primary textResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical illustrationChangshe of Mount Daxian, anonymous1667 Shanhaijing illustration
Printed長蛇 caption names bristles, drum/clapper voice and大咸山. The drawing coils the body into an unusual rounded pattern; it is not relabelled as a turtle. This later caption adds百尋 length, absent from the profile’s base notice. Physical Smithsonian edition1667; anonymous plate illustrator, GuoPu commentator and WuZhongheng editor; later pictorial witness, not date of ancient text composition.
