Book of Mountains and Seas. Bestiary of Ancient China

All the "fantastic beasts" of China! Did you know what amazing, mystical, and supernatural creatures have inhabited Chinese lands since ancient times? Immerse yourself in the beautiful, otherworldly realm of gods, heroes, demons, and beasts with the illustrated atlas of... continental China by artist Chen Suyue and scholar Sun Jiankun. Based on the woodblock print edition of the ancient "Book of Mountains and Seas," prepared around 1180 during the Song dynasty, they have carefully collected the most intriguing and representative creatures to bring them to life on the pages of this album with magnificent detailed illustrations and concise commentary. Infinitely rich in its succinctness, like Chinese culture itself, it invites the reader to engage in a dialogue and their own interpretation of the canon. And who knows, perhaps behind the seeming fantasy lies much more truth than we can imagine. This large-format edition will be the perfect gift for anyone interested in Chinese mythology and Asian culture.