Kunlun (mythology)
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The Kunlun (traditional Chinese: 崑崙; simplified Chinese: 昆仑; pinyin: Kūnlún; Wade–Giles: K'un-lun) or Kunlun Shan is a mountain or mountain range in Chinese mythology, an important symbol representing the axis mundi and divinity.
The mythological Kunlun is based on various mythologic and geographic sources from the Himalayan countries of India, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan and Afghanistan, including the Kunlun Mountains of the Tibetan Plateau and Mount Kailash (as an archetypal omphalos). The term "Kunlun" has also been applied to Southeastern, South and West Asian lands or islands and seemingly even Europe —although the relationship to the mountain is not clear beyond the nomenclature. Kunlun Mountains are also possible derivation and related to Mount Sumeru(myth), which is also directly referenced to Himalayas.
In any case, in Asian Mythology and folklore-combined, Kunlun refers to distant, exotic, and mysterious places. Different locations of Kunlun have been ascribed in the various legends, myths, and semi-historical accounts in which it appears. These accounts typically describe Kunlun as the dwelling place of various gods and goddesses where fabled plants and mythical creatures may also be found. Many important events in Asian mythology were based around Kunlun and Sumeru.[1]