Xiangliu (相柳): anonymous historical illustration in Shan hai jing tu, 1667
Anonymous1667 illustration of Xiangliu: nine human heads and snake body. Actual printed 相柳 heading and 九首人面蛇身 caption inspected; nine faces in three rows. Monochrome print does not establish the blue-green color in the early text. Guo Pu is commentator; Wu Zhongheng is editor; plate artist not identified. Smithsonian Libraries catalogue explicitly Public domain. Original actual IIIF manifest resource preserved.
Overview
Xiangliu serves Gonggong in the Shanhaijing’s Classic of Regions Beyond the Seas: North. The text gives him nine human heads and a blue-green snake body. He feeds from nine mountains, and places he reaches become marshes and streams. These attributes belong to this particular passage rather than a reconstructed universal description of Chinese dragons.
Yu kills Xiangliu, but the foul blood leaves the ground unsuitable for growing grain. Repeated attempts to fill the damaged ground fail, and it becomes a terrace for the emperors. The account locates the being north of Kunlun and east of Rouli. It does not describe acid, a named venom, or regeneration; those details should not be supplied from modern monster adaptations.
Origins & earliest records
Chinese classical cosmography
Records & interpretation
Complete relevant primary-text passage read in the hosted Chinese transcription.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Shanhaijing (山海經)
海外北經; Xiangliu paragraph, beginning 共工之臣曰相柳氏
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 (山海經), anonymous received text
海外北經. Xiangliu paragraph, beginning 共工之臣曰相柳氏
Complete relevant Chinese paragraph read. No modern anatomy or later identification silently imported; primary-text transcription, not a visual verification of the separate 1667 illustrated edition.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary classical text transcriptionShanhaijing, 海外北經 — Xiangliu paragraph, beginning 共工之臣曰相柳氏Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical illustrationXiangliu (相柳): anonymous historical illustration in Shan hai jing tu, 1667
Anonymous1667 illustration of Xiangliu: nine human heads and snake body. Actual printed 相柳 heading and 九首人面蛇身 caption inspected; nine faces in three rows. Monochrome print does not establish the blue-green color in the early text. Guo Pu is commentator; Wu Zhongheng is editor; plate artist not identified. Smithsonian Libraries catalogue explicitly Public domain. Original actual IIIF manifest resource preserved.
