Xibian

Overview

Xibian is the dog-shaped beast of Mount Tiandi in the first western itinerary of the Shanhaijing. The entry says that a person seated on its skin will not be affected by gu, a term associated with harmful or occult influences. It records this protective property without describing a hunt, a tamer, or an encounter with a particular human.

The creature appears among an inventory of birds, plants, and substances with attributed effects. Its dog-like form belongs to the base text, while the exact species is not identified. A protective hide is different from an animal that deliberately guards a household: that behaviour is not narrated. Variant characters for the name are displayed in the hosted transcription, so the romanized name should not be mistaken for a settled zoological classification.

Origins & earliest records

China; Shanhaijing western mountain itineraries

Records & interpretation

Directly read named primary-text transcription; historical illustration not yet assigned.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

1. 01

   Shanhaijing, Western Mountains

   Anonymous received text; Guo Pu commentary in this witness

   First western itinerary; Mount Tiandi

Family & connections

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Primary records and illustrations

References

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1. Primary text transcriptionShanhaijing: Western Mountains, received text and commentaryResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

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