Hainei shizhou ji 海內十洲記

Hainei shizhou ji 海內十洲記 "Ten islands in the inner seas", shortly called Shizhouji 十洲記, is a collection of fantastic stories traditionally attributed to the Daoist master Dongfang Shuo 東方朔 (160-93 BCE) from the Former Han period 前漢 (206 BC- 8 AD). The book is also known under the titles Shizhou sandao ji 十洲三島記 "The ten islands and three cliffs" or Shizhou xianji 十洲仙記 "The immortals from the ten islands".

The short book was initially classified as a geographical text, but was later put into the Daoists category because of the many stories of immortals it contains. Later on, it became part of the biographical category (jizhuan 記傳), and finally of the novella category (xiaoshuo 小説). From other types of literature, it can be learnt that the book was already in circulation at the beginning of the Later Han period 後漢 (25-220). In the text, there is talk of Emperor Wu's 漢武帝 (r. 141-87 BC) hunting in the Hualin Park 華林園, but this name was only given to the spot by Emperor Cao Fang 曹芳 (r. 239-254) of the Wei dynasty 曹魏 (220-265). The book must must thus have been compiled at the earliest during the 3rd century CE. The Hainei shizhou ji is often quoted in Li Shan's 李善 (630-689) commentary on the anthology Wenxuan 文選, which was compiled during the early 6th century.

The stories centre on the mystical journey of Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty to the Queen Mother of the West (Xiwangmu 西王母), and the many fairies and immortals he heard of. The ten islands (Zuzhou 祖洲, Yingzhou 瀛洲, Xuanzhou 玄洲, Yanzhou 炎洲, Changzhou 長洲, Yuanzhou 元洲, Liuzhou 流洲, Shengzhou 生洲, Fenglinzhou 鳳麟洲 and Jukuzhou 聚窟洲) are places where immortals crowd together and live a life of joy and insouciance. The book also explains where the islands were located and what plants and animals were to be found on them. Such passages are similar to the famous Shanhaijing 山海經, which has a more geographical character indeed, as it also speaks of really existing places. At the end of the description of the ten islands, some further places are appended, namely the islands Canghaidao 滄海島, Fangzhangzhou 方丈洲 and the mountains Fusang 扶桑, Pengqiu 蓬丘, and Kunlun 昆侖. Essential in the Shizhouji is the herb of immortality, growing on the island of Zuzhou 祖洲.

The Shizhouji is included in the Daoist encylopaedia Yunji qiqian 雲笈七籤, and separately in the Daoist Canon Daozang 道藏, as well as in the series Gushi wenfang xiaoshuo 顧氏文房小說, Gujin yishi 古今逸史, Han-Wei congshu 漢魏叢書, Baoyantang miji 寶顏堂秘笈, Shuofu 說郛, Longwei mishu 龍威秘書, Yiyuan junhua 藝苑捃華, Zishu baijia 子書百家, Gujin shuobu congshu 古今說部叢書, Shuoku 說庫, Han-Wei xiaoshuo caizhen 漢魏小說采珍, Yueyatang congshu 粵雅堂叢書 and Siku quanshu 四庫全書.