Among China’s historical legends and myths, the legendary Zhuangzi and Huainanzi characters stands among them. They are Chinese Mythological characters that represent the universe, earth, and life.

A Brief History of Chinese Mythology

Early Chinese text indicated and recorded fragmentations of legendary myths. Among them, the Zhuangzi and Huainanzi cosmogonies mention Hundun. The Shujing and Guoyu describe the separation of Heaven and Earth during the legendary era of Zhuanxu. While the Huainanzi and Chuci say that Nüwa created the first humans from yellow clay and repaired the fallen pillars of Heaven (cf. Axis mundi).

One of the most popular creation myths in Chinese mythology describes what is referred to as Pangu 盤古 separating the world egg-like Hundun 混沌 "primordial chaos" into parts: Heaven and Earth. However, none of the ancient Chinese classics mentions the Pangu myth, which was first recorded in the (3rd century CE) Sanwu Liji 三五歴記 "Record of Cycles in Threes and Fives,",written by Three Kingdoms period Daoist author Xu Zheng. Derk Bodde, who linked the myth to the ancestral mythologies of the Miao people and Yao people in southern China often quotes the work of these figures in China’s history. Much of the work however, has not been brought into any of the academic discussions that focus on modern or ancient Chinese literature.