Soushen Ji


The Soushen Ji, variously translated as In Search of the Sacred, In Search of the Supernatural, and Anecdotes about Spirits and Immortals, is a Chinese compilation of legends, short stories, and hearsay concerning Chinese gods, Chinese ghosts, and other supernatural phenomena. Although the authorship of the book is not made explicit in the text, it is believed to have been written and compiled by Gan Bao, a historian at the court of Emperor Yuan of Jin around 350. It was reissued in numerous editions, including in 1593. The book usually consists of 464 stories.

Stories

Gan Bao recorded a tale or legend about serpent-slaying: Li Ji Slays the Giant Serpent.
The collection also contains a variant of the story of a Swan Maiden who marries a mortal man.

Legacy

cites Gan Bao's work as a far greater work than his own, the now famous Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio.