Mythologis
Chinese Mythology: The Complete Guide to Pangu, Nuwa, the Jade Emperor, and the Sacred Stories of the World's Oldest Living Tradition

Chinese Mythology

Chinese Mythology: The Complete Guide to Pangu, Nuwa, the Jade Emperor, and the Sacred Stories of the World's Oldest Living Tradition

5,000 Years of Dragons, Immortals, and the Celestial Court

From Pangu's creation to Sun Wukoku's rebellion: the unbroken mythological tradition of China, spanning the Yellow Emperor, Nuwa's clay humans, and the Jade Emperor's court.

150 pagesPDFEnglishMythologis Library

$14.99

Instant PDF download

Inside this book

What you will read

  • 11 chapters, primary sources
  • Instant PDF download
  • Original ink illustrations
  • Inline citations to original texts
  • Designed for print quality
See all chapters  +
  1. 01The Cosmic Egg: Pangu and the Separation of Heaven and Earth
  2. 02Nuwa's Clay: The Creation and Repair of Humanity
  3. 03The Yellow Emperor and the War Against Chaos
  4. 04The Jade Emperor's Court: Celestial Bureaucracy and Divine Hierarchy
  5. 05The Dragon Kings and the Four Seas
  6. 06The Eight Immortals: Paths to Transcendence
  7. 07Chang'e and the Moon: Exile, Elixir, and Eternal Separation
  8. 08Sun Wukong: The Monkey King's Rebellion and Journey to the West
  9. 09The Fengshen Yanyi: Gods, Demons, and the Investiture of the Deities
  10. 10Mountains, Seas, and Strange Beasts: The Shanhaijing Tradition
  11. 11Living Mythology: How Chinese Sacred Stories Shape Modern Culture

About this book

About this Chinese mythology guide

The world's oldest living mythology: from Pangu's cosmic egg to the Monkey King's rebellion, 5,000 years of dragons, immortals, and the Jade Emperor's celestial court.

Chinese mythology is the longest continuous sacred tradition on earth. This book traces 5,000 years of stories: Pangu separating heaven and earth with his axe, Nuwa shaping the first humans from yellow clay and mending the broken sky, the Yellow Emperor's wars against chaos, the Dragon Kings ruling the Four Seas, the Eight Immortals crossing the ocean, Chang'e ascending to the moon, and Sun Wukong's rebellion against the Jade Emperor's celestial bureaucracy.

Every chapter cites the original texts: the Shanhaijing (Classic of Mountains and Seas), the Huainanzi, Journey to the West, the Fengshen Yanyi, and the Daoist canon. You will read how the cosmos emerged from cosmic egg, how dragons became symbols of imperial power, how immortals achieved transcendence through alchemy and discipline, and how these stories shaped Chinese philosophy, art, and statecraft for millennia.

Delivered as a premium PDF within 24 hours of purchase. Eleven chapters, original ink illustrations, inline citations to classical sources.

What you will discover inside

  • How Pangu separated heaven and earth with his axe and became the landscape of China
  • Why Nuwa shaped humans from yellow clay and mended the broken sky with melted stones
  • What the Jade Emperor's celestial bureaucracy reveals about Chinese imperial ideology
  • The Dragon Kings of the Four Seas and their control over rain, rivers, and floods
  • How Sun Wukong defied heaven, ate the peaches of immortality, and was trapped under a mountain
  • Why the Eight Immortals represent the Daoist path to transcendence and eternal life

Chinese mythology book at a glance

TraditionChinese mythology
Chapters11 chapters
Length150 pages
SourcesDrawn from the primary sources, cited inline
Reading levelBeginner-friendly. Every name and place is explained from scratch
FormatPrint-quality PDF
DeliveryPDF within 24 hours

Formats and editions

EditionWhat you getPrice
Instant PDFPrint-quality download, readable on any device. PDF within 24 hours.$7.99
PaperbackA paperback edition is on the way. Sign up on this page to hear when it lands on Amazon.Coming soon

About the author

Guillaume Henry, founder of Mythologis

Guillaume Henry

Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Mythologis

Guillaume Henry founded Mythologis to make the world's mythologies readable without losing what makes them strange. Every Mythologis book draws on the primary sources first, cross-references multiple translations, and avoids inventing details that aren't in the originals.

More about the author

Keep exploring Chinese mythology

Prefer to read before you buy? These free, fully sourced guides cover the same gods, myths and sources you will meet in the book.

Read the complete Chinese mythology guide

Questions about the Chinese mythology book

When will I receive my PDF?

Within 24 hours of purchase. Your download link arrives in your inbox automatically.

Is this book based on primary sources?

Yes. The book cites the Shanhaijing (Classic of Mountains and Seas), the Huainanzi, Journey to the West (Xiyouji), the Fengshen Yanyi (Investiture of the Gods), and passages from the Daoist canon, with references to the standard published translations by Anne Birrell, Anthony Yu, and others so you can read further.

How long is the book?

Eleven chapters, around 150 pages depending on the final layout. Designed to be read in evenings or in one long sitting.

Is this book for beginners or specialists?

Beginners welcome. The book explains every name, place, and concept from scratch. Specialists will find the source citations and translation notes useful for further reading.

Will there be a paperback on Amazon?

The PDF is available immediately. A KDP paperback edition follows once the book has been validated by readers.

Why isn't the story of the Weaver Girl and the Cowherd included?

The book focuses on cosmogonic myths, divine hierarchies, and the major immortal figures. Folk tales like Niulang and Zhinü, while beloved, belong to a different narrative tradition. The chapters prioritize the foundational texts that shaped Chinese religious and philosophical thought.

What formats is this book available in?

Every title is available as an instant PDF, downloaded the moment you buy it: the link appears on the confirmation page and lands in your inbox. Selected titles also have a paperback edition on Amazon. Where the paperback is not out yet, you can sign up to be notified the day it does.

What is the return policy?

The PDF is delivered instantly by Mythologis. If a download ever fails or a file looks wrong, get in touch and we will make it right. Paperbacks bought on Amazon are handled under Amazon's own returns and refund policy.

Can I order from outside the United States?

Yes. The PDF is a digital download, so it works instantly anywhere in the world, with nothing to ship. Where a paperback edition exists, it is sold across Amazon's international marketplaces, with shipping rates and delivery times depending on your country.

You might also like

See the full library
← Back to Chinese books