lili-shanhaijing, named historical Shan hai jing woodcut
Exact named figure in the Southern Mountains section of a seventeenth-century illustrated Shan hai jing edition. Historical interpretation, not a biological photograph. Source file cites the Library of Congress digitized edition.
Overview
Lili appears at Mount Gui, the opening mountain of the Shanhaijing’s second southern itinerary. It resembles a pig or young boar, has spurs, and makes a sound like a dog barking. The entry says that its appearance is associated with extensive earthworks in the district. It does not describe the creature physically digging those works or commanding human labourers.
The surrounding passage orients the mountain toward other named places and traces the Ying River through the landscape. Lili thus enters as part of a local inventory that also includes the extraordinary bird Zhu. Its omen is a relationship asserted by the text, not a documented causal mechanism. A modern description should preserve that distinction instead of turning the animal into an engineer, a tunnelling monster, or an agricultural protector without another witness.
Origins & earliest records
China; Shanhaijing, Southern Mountains
Records & interpretation
Directly read Chinese primary-text transcription; exact section and geographical passage retained. No matched scan or illustration verified.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Shanhaijing: Southern Mountains
Second southern sequence; Mount Gui 櫃山; hosted text displays commentary separately in brackets.
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, Southern Mountains
南山經. Second southern sequence; Mount Gui 櫃山
Directly read transcription, not a collated historical scan. Identifying passage: 有獸焉，其狀如豚，有距，其音如狗吠，其名曰貍力。 Base text and bracketed commentary distinguished; no exact plate assigned.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary-text transcriptionShanhaijing, Southern Mountains: Second southern sequence; Mount Gui 櫃山Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical illustrationlili-shanhaijing, named historical Shan hai jing woodcut
Exact named figure in the Southern Mountains section of a seventeenth-century illustrated Shan hai jing edition. Historical interpretation, not a biological photograph. Source file cites the Library of Congress digitized edition.
