Ten continents and three islands

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The so-called Ten Continents and Three Islands ( Chinese  十 洲 三島 , Pinyin shízhōu sāndǎo , English The Ten Continents and Three Islands ) are the generic term in religious Daoism for various holy places that serve as the abode of saints or immortals ( shenxian ).

Specifically, these are the following ten continents and three islands of Daoist cosmology (which are not necessarily to be equated with modern geographical terms), whereby different information is given in different Chinese works:

Ten continents

  • To-continent 祖 洲 (in the "South Sea")
  • Ying continent 瀛洲 (in the "Eastern Sea")
  • Xuan continent 玄 洲 (in the "Northern Sea")
  • Yan continent 炎 洲 (in the "South Sea")
  • Chang continent 長 洲 (in the "South Sea")
  • Yuan continent 元 洲 (in the "North Sea")
  • Liu continent 流 洲 (in the "West Sea")
  • Sheng continent 生 洲 (in the "Eastern Sea")
  • Fenglin continent 鳯 麟 洲 (in the "West Sea")
  • Juku continent 聚 窟 洲 (in the "Western Sea")

Three islands

  • Pengqiu Island or Penglai Island (蓬 丘 島 or 蓬萊 島) (in the "Eastern Sea")
  • Fangzhang Island 方丈 島 (in the "East Sea")
  • Kunlun Island 昆侖 島 (in the "West Sea")

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