Sōu shén jì 搜神記

In Search of Spirits

Anonymous (traditional attribution Gān Bǎo 干寶); Eastern Jìn

The great Eastern-Jìn Sōu shén jì 搜神記 of Gān Bǎo 干寶 (fl. 317–350) — the foundational collection of zhì guài 志怪 (“records of anomalies”) tales, foundational for the Chinese supernatural narrative tradition. The Dàozàng text is a shorter recension. Preserved as DZ 1476 / CT 1476 (續道藏). (DZ 1475 omitted in the canonical sequence.)

Dating. Eastern Jìn. Dynasty: 東晉.

Translations and research

  • DeWoskin, Kenneth, and J. I. Crump. In Search of the Supernatural: The Written Record. Stanford UP, 1996. English translation.