Qīnyuán
The venomous wasp-like bird of Mount Kunlun in the Shan Hai Jing: sized like a duck, stinging beasts kills them and stinging wood withers it.《山海经》记载昆仑毒禽钦原：状如巨蜂大如鸳鸯，蠚鸟兽则死，蠚木则枯。
Body身形
Like a giant wasp形貌宛若巨蜂
其狀如蠭
Size体型
Like a mandarin duck体型如鸳鸯大
大如鴛鴦
Peril凶险
Stings beasts dead螫刺禽兽即死
蠚鳥獸則死
Power效用
Withers trees螫刺树木立枯
蠚木則枯
有鳥焉，名曰欽原There is a bird here; its name is Qinyuan.
山海經·西山經
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
The Shan Hai Jing portrays Qinyuan as a deadly hybrid avian of Kunlun possessing insectoid venom capable of instantly blighting flora and fauna.
The story来历与故事
The venomous wasp-like bird of Mount Kunlun in the Shan Hai Jing: sized like a mandarin duck with lethal stingers, stinging beasts slays them and stinging wood causes it to wither.
Qinyuan is a deadly wasp-like bird dwelling on Kunlun.《西山经》记载昆仑神丘之中，有毒禽名曰钦原。
In the Classic of the Western Mountains, the creature Qinyuan inhabits Mount Kunlun, the capital of the celestial sovereign.
Though classified as a bird in the texts, its form and lethal sting mirror those of a colossal venomous wasp.
It is large as a duck; its sting fells beasts and withers wood.经文记其状如蠭大如鸳鸯，蠚鸟兽则死，蠚木则枯。
The Shan Hai Jing specifies that Qinyuan resembles a bee or wasp in form yet attains the size of a mandarin duck.
Its sting contains concentrated toxicity: if it stings any bird or beast, the creature perishes instantly; if it stings a tree, the entire trunk withers away.
Woodblock prints illustrate it swooping from pine cliffs.《古今图书集成》画其为一头自古松峭壁间展翼俯冲而下的巨蜂异鸟。
The 1726 imperial encyclopedia Gujin Tushu Jicheng portrays Qinyuan swooping downward past a pine-crested mountain cliff, inscribed Qinyuan Tu in the upper left.
The woodblock print illustrates its pointed beak, raised feathered wings, and grasping claws set against traditional landscape linework.
Record档案
| Type | Venomous Avian (wasp-like deadly bird of Mount Kunlun) |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Qīnyuán 欽原; Qinyuan Bird (欽原之鳥) |
| Habitat | Mount Kunlun (昆侖之丘) in the Western Mountains, earthly realm of the gods |
| Effect | Its sting slays any bird or beast, and withers living wood (蠚鳥獸則死，蠚木則枯) |
| Earliest source | 山海經·西山經 |
| Source books | 山海經·西山經 |
| Image source | Chen Menglei 陳夢雷 (ed.) · Wikimedia Commons |
| License | Public domain |
The classic describes it as a bird resembling a giant wasp, sized as large as a mandarin duck.
The text states that stinging birds or beasts causes death, while stinging trees causes them to wither ('stings beasts they die, stings wood it withers').
It inhabits the mythical peak of Mount Kunlun in the Western Mountains.
