Collected Illustrations of the Three Realms

Volume 19: People

The Kingdom of Kunlun Cengsi

original: "崑崙層斯國" (Kūnlún Céngsī Guó). This is a transliteration of "Zanjibar" or "Zanj," a term used by medieval geographers to refer to the Swahili Coast of East Africa. The prefix "Kunlun" was often used in pre-modern Chinese to denote dark-skinned peoples or regions to the south and west.

The Kingdom of Kunlun Cengsi is located in the Southwest Sea. In this land, there exists the Great Peng original: "大鵬" (Dàpéng). This legendary giant bird is frequently equated with the "Roc" from Middle Eastern folklore, such as the stories of Sinbad the Sailor. Chinese accounts of the Roc likely reached the Ming dynasty via Arab maritime traders.. When this bird flies, its wings are so vast that they blot out the sun. It is powerful enough to devour a camel. People may pick up its fallen feathers and, by cutting the shafts of the quills, they can fashion them into water buckets.

There are also wild people original: "野人" (yěrén). A historical term used to describe indigenous populations living outside of organized state structures or "civilized" society as defined by the author. there whose bodies are as black as lacquer. The people of the country set out displays of food to lure them; once the wild people are enticed, they are captured and sold to foreign merchants original: "番商" (fānshāng). Usually referring to Arab or Persian traders who dominated the Indian Ocean trade routes. to serve as slaves.