Dongmingji 洞冥記

Dongmingji 洞冥記, also called Han Wu dongming ji 漢武洞冥記 "Records of the darkness in the cavern of Emperor Han Wudi", Han Wudi dongming ji 漢武帝洞冥記, Han Wudi bieguo dongming ji 漢武帝別國洞冥記, Han Wudi lieguo dongming ji 漢武帝列國洞冥記 or Bieguo dongming ji 別國洞冥記, is a collection of fantastic stories traditionally attributed to the Han-period 漢 (206 BCE-220 CE) scholar Guo Xian 郭憲 (1st cent CE), who was among the scholars contributing to the downfall of the usurper Wang Mang 王莽 (r. 8-22 CE).

In to the imperial bibliography Jingji zhi 經籍志 in the official dynastic history Suishu 隋書, the author of the Dongmingji is simply called Master Guo 郭氏, while the first bibliographical mentioning of the name Guo Xian is to be found in the bibliographical treatise in the dynastic history Jiutangshu 舊唐書. The Dongmingji might in fact have been compiled during the Southern Dynasties period 南朝 (420~589).

The length indicated in book catalogues ranged between 1 and 4 juan, but the received version is 4 juan long.

The title of the book is derived from a story which says that the Daoist master Dongfang Shuo 東方朔 (160-93 BCE) dug himself into the innermost darknesses (i.e., obscurities or secrets) of the study of the "Way" (dao 道) in order to enlighten Emperor Wu 漢武帝 (r. 141-87 BCE) of the Han dynasty.

The Dongmingji contains stories of immortals and Daoist scholars that are able to exhibit supernatural powers, and that appear to commoners in strange appearances. The book thus resembles the collection Shenyijing 神異經. Many tales are very famous and were often quoted by later authors, like the story of Xi He 羲和, the story of the three-legged bird (sanzu niao 三足鳥), or that of a green dragon holding a candle (qinglong xian zhu 青龍銜燭).

The Dongmingji is included in the series Han-Wei congshu 漢魏叢書, Longwei mishu 龍威秘書, Shuofu 說郛, Gujin yishi 古今逸史, Zishu baijia 子書百家, Shuoku 說庫, Baoyantang miji 寶顏堂秘笈, Wuchao xiaoshuo 五朝小說 and the Siku quanshu 四庫全書.

A sequel titled Xu dongmin ji 續洞冥記 with a length of 1 juan was compile by Gu Yewang 顧野王 (518-581), who is more famous for the dictionary Yupian 玉篇. It is not mentioned in early book catalogues, but in Gu's official biography in the dynastic history Chenshu 陳書. The book was lost at an early point of time.