Mánmán

蠻蠻Manman

The one-eyed, one-winged bird of Mount Chongwu from the Shan Hai Jing: shaped like a wild duck and flying only when paired, its appearance portends universal flood.《山海经》记载崇吾山异鸟蛮蛮：其状如野鸭而一翼一目，相得乃飞，见则天下大水。

Form形貌

Like a wild duck体貌宛若野凫

其狀如鳧

Wings翼羽

One wing each身侧单生独翼

一翼

Eyes眼目

One eye each额前单生独目

一目

Flight比翼

Flies in pairs雌雄并肩方飞

相得乃飛

Woodblock print from Gujin Tushu Jicheng showing the paired deluge birds Manman gliding closely together above waters, inscribed 'Manman Tu'一目Single eye面生单目一目Single eye面生单目其狀如鳧Duck-like body体如野鸭其狀如鳧Duck-like body体如野鸭一翼Single wing偏生单翼一翼Single wing偏生单翼相得乃飛Paired flight相合方能并飞相得乃飛Paired flight相合方能并飞
有鳥焉，其名曰蠻蠻

There is a bird here; its name is Manman.

山海經·西山經
蠻蠻圖, Gujin Tushu Jicheng 古今圖書集成, Qin Chong Dian (Section on Birds and Animals), woodblock print, 1726清·陈梦雷等编《古今图书集成·禽虫典》“蠻蠻图”，雍正四年（1726）铜活字印本 · Public domain公有领域

Highlighted words: anatomy part · feature · form type — tap to jump标色词：形态部位 · 特征 · 形态类别，点击可跳转

The texts原文

Original Text & Translation原文与译文

山海經·西山經 · 山海經·西山經 · Wikisource

崇吾之山，有鳥焉，其狀如鳧，而一翼一目，相得乃飛，名曰蠻蠻，見則天下大水。
There is a bird here shaped like a wild duck, with one wing and one eye, which can only fly when joined with a partner, named Manman; when it appears there is great flood under heaven.

山海經·西山經 · 山海經·西山經 · Wikisource

崇吾之山，有鳥焉，其狀如鳧，而一翼一目，相得乃飛，名曰蠻蠻，見則天下大水。
There is a bird here shaped like a wild duck, with one wing and one eye, which can only fly when joined with a partner, named Manman; when it appears there is great flood under heaven.

Comparing the Books典籍对比

The Classic of the Western Mountains describes the Manman as a single-eyed, single-winged deluge bird on Mount Chongwu whose sightings foretold immense flooding across the ancient realm.

The story来历与故事

A remarkable creature of the western skies: an avian shaped like a wild duck that possesses only half the faculty of flight—one eye and a single wing—requiring a partner of complementary form to take to the air. Its sighting heralds torrential floods.

The Paired Deluge Fowl of Mount Chongwu崇吾之山与相得乃飞

In the Classic of the Western Mountains, the Shan Hai Jing recounts that Mount C《山海经·西山经》记载，西次三经之首曰崇吾之山，在河之南，北望冢遂。山有异鸟名曰

In the Classic of the Western Mountains, the Shan Hai Jing recounts that Mount Chongwu overlooks the great western waters. Within its misty crags lives the Manman, an extraordinary waterfowl with only one eye and a single wing on its flank. Incapable of taking flight independently, two birds must clasp together as mirror images to rise into the wind.

Despite this vulnerable biology, the Manman is fundamentally a harbinger of cataclysm. Classical texts state emphatically that when the paired birds are observed wheeling through the air above human settlements, boundless torrents will break forth and flood the valleys.

From Flood Portent to Romantic Inseparability从大水凶兆到比翼齐飞

Over centuries of literary evolution, the catastrophic portent of the Manman mer随着历史演进与文人审美变迁，蛮蛮所代表的凶兆渐渐隐入幕后，其“相得乃飞”的独特形

Over centuries of literary evolution, the catastrophic portent of the Manman merged with the legendary Biyi Bird (比翼鳥). Han and Tang poets transformed the tragic flood omen into the paramount classical metaphor for unyielding romantic fidelity and eternal partnership.

In modern culture, the image of conjoined birds soaring through tempestuous clouds remains an enduring poetic trope across classical painting, literature, and contemporary romance fiction.

Record档案

Record Card档案卡

TypeDeluge Avian (one-winged flood harbinger)
Also known asBiyi Bird 比翼鳥 (conflated in later romantic tradition)
Earliest sourceShan Hai Jing 山海經 (Classic of the Western Mountains)
OmenPortends catastrophic floods and boundless inundations under heaven
NatureWater-associated avian dwelling on Mount Chongwu
SymbolismAncient omen of universal deluge transformed into paired devotion
Earliest source山海經·西山經
Source books山海經·西山經
Image sourceChen Menglei 陳夢雷 (ed.) · Wikimedia Commons
LicensePublic domain
Divine BirdsCalamityShan Hai JingBird-bodied鸟身

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Manman bird in Chinese mythology?

The Manman is a duck-like bird from the Shan Hai Jing with only one eye and one wing. It can only fly when paired with a matching partner, and its appearance foretells catastrophic floods.

Is the Manman the same as the Biyi bird?

Yes, in early mythology the Manman was the origin of the 'Biyi' (joined-wing) concept, later celebrated in poetry as the ultimate symbol of devoted couples.

Where is the Manman said to dwell?

According to the Classic of the Western Mountains, the Manman dwells upon Mount Chongwu in the western ranges.

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