Paired Manman of Mount Chongwu, anonymous1667 Shanhaijing illustration
Printed蠻蠻 caption names duck comparison, one wing/one eye, partnered flight and崇吾山; drawing represents the paired flying form. Distinct from same-name mouse/turtle hybrid. Physical Smithsonian edition1667; anonymous plate artist, GuoPu commentator and WuZhongheng editor. Actual resource from cached IIIF manifest.
Overview
The Manman bird belongs to Mount Chongwu at the opening of the Shanhaijing’s third western sequence. It resembles a duck but has only one wing and one eye. Two of the birds must find each other before they can fly. The passage associates their appearance with great flooding, placing their bodily dependence within an omen-bearing description.
The displayed commentary connects them with the paired-wing bird tradition and adds colour information. Those explanatory additions are not silently substituted for the base description. A fourth western passage uses the same written name for a mouse-bodied creature with a turtle’s head and a barking voice. That is a separate entry, not evidence that the bird transforms into a rodent. This profile retains the partnered flight and the exact named mountain witness.
Origins & earliest records
China; Shanhaijing, Western 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: Western Mountains
Third western sequence; Mount Chongwu 崇吾山; bracketed commentary distinguished from base text.
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, Western Mountains
西山經. Third western sequence; Mount Chongwu 崇吾山
Directly read transcription, not a historical scan. Identifying passage: 其狀如鳧，而一翼一目，相得乃飛，名曰蠻蠻。 Base text and commentary distinguished; exact plate remains unverified.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary-text transcriptionShanhaijing, Western Mountains: Third western sequence; Mount Chongwu 崇吾山Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical illustrationPaired Manman of Mount Chongwu, anonymous1667 Shanhaijing illustration
Printed蠻蠻 caption names duck comparison, one wing/one eye, partnered flight and崇吾山; drawing represents the paired flying form. Distinct from same-name mouse/turtle hybrid. Physical Smithsonian edition1667; anonymous plate artist, GuoPu commentator and WuZhongheng editor. Actual resource from cached IIIF manifest.
