Luoyu, named1667 historical plate
Actual1000-pixel plate directly inspected. Printed caption explicitly gives fish body/bird wings/great flood/Meng River; drawing shows winged scaled fish. Matches Luoyu, not the earlier withdrawn Wenyao substitution. Smithsonian catalog dates1667/public domain.
Overview
Luoyu inhabits the Meng River flowing south from Mount Gui into the Yang River. It has a fish’s body and a bird’s wings, with a voice compared to that of a mandarin duck. Its appearance foretells great flooding in the locality.
The same mountain notice contains Qiongqi, but the fish and the human-eating beast have separate descriptions. Luoyu’s flood portent contrasts with the drought attributed to several other winged fish in the collection; the named river and written name蠃魚 help keep these forms distinct.
Origins & earliest records
China; Shanhaijing Western Mountains
Records & interpretation
Specific named received-primary passage directly read; historical illustration matching remains separate.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Shanhaijing, Western Mountains
Fourth western itinerary; Mount Gui and Meng River
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
Shan hai jing: er shi san juan (Smithsonian digitized edition)
Physical volume2; fish illustration sequence. IIIF canvas index92 (zero based), labelled 蠃魚; no printed page number asserted
Actual 1000-pixel plate directly inspected. Printed caption explicitly gives fish body/bird wings/great flood/Meng River; drawing shows winged scaled fish. Matches Luoyu, not the earlier withdrawn Wenyao substitution. Smithsonian catalog dates 1667/public domain.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary text transcriptionShanhaijing Western Mountains received primary textResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical illustrationLuoyu, named1667 historical plate
Actual1000-pixel plate directly inspected. Printed caption explicitly gives fish body/bird wings/great flood/Meng River; drawing shows winged scaled fish. Matches Luoyu, not the earlier withdrawn Wenyao substitution. Smithsonian catalog dates1667/public domain.
