Jingwei Fills the Sea

About this story

Jingwei Fills the Sea is one of China's oldest myths. It comes from the Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shanhaijing), an ancient book of myth and geography more than two thousand years old, which tells in a few dozen characters how Nüwa (女娃), youngest daughter of the Flame Emperor, drowned in the Eastern Sea and became the Jingwei bird, carrying twigs and stones from the western hills to fill it. This retelling follows that outline for children, gives the sea a voice, and adds a petrel friend, a pairing found in a later book of marvels, the Shuyi ji (Records of Strange Things).

Tips for telling it

• Keep the shipwreck short and gentle; the heart of the story is what Jingwei does after she grows wings.
• Make the sea big, slow and boomy, and keep Jingwei's answers steady and brave rather than tearful.
• Afterwards, ask: if you were the petrel, would you help Jingwei? Why?

Questions people ask

Where does the story of Jingwei come from?

It comes from the Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shanhaijing), in the section on the northern mountains. The book says the Flame Emperor's youngest daughter drowned while playing in the Eastern Sea and became the Jingwei bird, which carries twigs and stones from the western hills to fill the sea.

What does Jingwei fills the sea mean?

精卫填海 (jīng wèi tián hǎi) is also a Chinese idiom. It praises someone who keeps going with fierce determination, even when the goal looks impossible.

What does the Jingwei bird look like?

The Classic of Mountains and Seas says it looks like a crow, with a patterned head, a white beak and red feet, and that its call sounds like its own name, jingwei.

Is Jingwei the same as the goddess Nüwa?

No. Jingwei's human name is written 女娃, meaning little girl, while the creator goddess who mended the sky is 女娲. The two names look alike in English, but they are different figures.