Zhu of Mount Gui, anonymous1667 Shanhaijing illustration
Printed鴸 caption gives owl-like form, human hands, banished-people omen and桂山. This image-specific human facial treatment is not silently added to the base notice. Physical Smithsonian edition1667; anonymous plate artist, GuoPu commentator and WuZhongheng editor. Actual resource from cached IIIF manifest.
Overview
Zhu is the unusual bird listed at Mount Gui in the second southern itinerary of the Shanhaijing. It resembles a chi, an owl-like bird, but has human hands. The hosted commentary locates those hands at the feet. Its cry gives its name, while a separate sound comparison is marked uncertain by the accompanying annotation.
The text connects the bird’s appearance with a district containing many banished or displaced scholars, though the hosted passage records a variant character in that phrase. This is a civic omen rather than a demonstration that Zhu attacks scholars. The neighbouring creature Lili carries a different district-level association with earthworks. Keeping these entries apart prevents the bird’s hands, sound, and omen from being collapsed into a single generic owl monster with unsupported narrative powers.
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: 有鳥焉，其狀如鴟而人手，其音如痺，其名曰鴸。 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 illustrationZhu of Mount Gui, anonymous1667 Shanhaijing illustration
Printed鴸 caption gives owl-like form, human hands, banished-people omen and桂山. This image-specific human facial treatment is not silently added to the base notice. Physical Smithsonian edition1667; anonymous plate artist, GuoPu commentator and WuZhongheng editor. Actual resource from cached IIIF manifest.
