selected from the Western Rong note preserved in Sanguozhi

Yu Huan's Weilue preserves a third-century Chinese frontier view between Han memory and later dynastic geography. The selected passages below focus on the western roads and the northern steppe chain: Wusun, Kangju, Yancai/Alan, Hude, Jiankun, Dingling, and the reports attached to them.

The longer Da Qin material in the source dossier is not included here; it belongs to a separate far-western geography pass. The selected Chinese source is printed below.

The English is a Good Works Translation from the Classical Chinese passages printed below.

Translation

Western Regions Roads and Dependent States

The various states of the Western Regions: when Han first opened their roads, there were thirty-six. Later they divided into more than fifty. Since Jianwu, they have swallowed up and destroyed one another, and today there are twenty routes.

Entering the Western Regions from Dunhuang and the Jade Gate Pass, formerly there were two roads; now there are three.

From the Jade Gate Pass one goes out westward, passes through Ruoqiang, turns west, crosses the Congling Mountains, passes through Xuandu, and enters the Great Yuezhi. This is the southern road.

From the Jade Gate Pass one goes out westward, starts from the Protector-General's Well, turns around the northern head of the Sanlong Sands, passes Julucang, turns northwest from the well west of the sands, crosses the Dragon Mound, reaches old Loulan, turns west to Kucha, and reaches the Congling Mountains. This is the middle road.

From the Jade Gate Pass one goes out northwest, passes Hengkeng, avoids the Sanlong Sands and the Dragon Mound, goes out north of Wuchuan, reaches Gaochang in the territory of Cheshi, where the Wuji colonel governed, turns west, and joins the middle road at Kucha. This is the new road.

All that comes out of the Western Regions has already been fully detailed in earlier histories; therefore here it is only briefly described.

Going west by the southern road: the states of Qiezhi, Xiaowan, Jingjue, and Loulan are all merged under Shanshan. The states of Ronglu, Hanmi, Qule, and Pishan are all merged under Khotan. The states of Jibin, Daxia, Gaofu, and Tianzhu are all merged under the Great Yuezhi.

There is Lin'er state. The Buddhist scripture says that the king of this state gave birth to the Buddha. Buddha was a crown prince. His father was called Xietouye; his mother was called Moye. The Buddha's body wore yellow color, his hair was blue like blue silk, the hair on his breast was blue, and his pupils were red like copper. At first Moye dreamed of a white elephant and conceived. When he was born, he came out from his mother's left side; at birth he had a topknot, fell to the ground, and could walk seven steps. This state lies within Tianzhu.

Tianzhu also had a divine man named Shalu. Long ago, in the first year of Yuanshou under Emperor Ai of Han, the doctoral student Jing Lu received the Buddhist scripture orally from Yicun, envoy of the king of the Great Yuezhi. The person called Fulizhe was that man. What is recorded of the Buddha - linpusai, sangmen, bowen, shuwen, baishuxian, bhikshu, chenmen - are all titles of disciples. What is recorded of the Buddha comes in and out together with the Chinese Scripture of Laozi. It is probably taken that Laozi went west out of the pass, passed through Tianzhu in the Western Regions, and taught the Hu. The separate titles belonging to the Buddha and his disciples number twenty-nine in all; they cannot be set out in detail, and so they are briefly given like this.

The state of Cheli, also named Liweite and Peiliwang, lies more than three thousand li southeast of Tianzhu. Its land is low, damp, and hot. Its king governs at Shaqi City; there are several tens of other cities. The people are weak and timid. The Yuezhi and Tianzhu attacked and subdued them. The land is several thousand li east to west and north to south. Men and women are all one zhang and eight chi tall. They ride elephants and camels in battle. Now the Yuezhi exact service and taxes from them.

The state of Panyue, also called Hanyuewang, lies several thousand li southeast of Tianzhu and is near the Yi region. Its people are small, equal to Chinese people. Traders from Shu seem to reach there. With this, the southern road turns west to its furthest point, then bends southeast and ends.

Going west by the middle road: the states of Weili, Weixu, and Shanwang are all merged under Yanqi. The states of Gumo, Wensu, and Weitou are all merged under Kucha. The states of Zhenzhong, Shache, Jieshi, Qusha, Xiye, Yinai, Manli, Yiruo, Yuling, Sundu, Xiuxiu, and Qin are all merged under Shule.

From here westward, Dawan, Anxi, Tiaozhi, and Wuyi come in order in the west. These four are original states and have not increased or decreased. Earlier generations mistakenly thought that Tiaozhi lay west of Da Qin; now in fact it lies east. Earlier generations also mistakenly thought that it was stronger than Anxi; now it is instead subject to Anxi and is called Anxi's western border. Earlier generations also mistakenly thought that Weak Water lay west of Tiaozhi; now Weak Water lies west of Da Qin. Earlier generations also mistakenly thought that from Tiaozhi, going west for more than two hundred days, one neared the place where the sun enters; now one nears the place where the sun enters by going west from Da Qin.

Northern New Road, Wusun, Kangju, Yancai, and Alan

Going west by the northern new road, one reaches Eastern Qiemo, Western Qiemo, Shanhuan, Bilu, Pulu, and Wutan. These are all merged under the king of the Later Division of Cheshi. The king governs at Yulai City. Wei granted its king Yiduoza the office of Guarding Palace Attendant of Wei, gave him the title Great Commandant, and gave him the seal of a king of Wei.

Turning northwest, one comes to Wusun and Kangju. These are original states and have no increase or decrease.

North of Kangju is the state of Northern Wuyi. There is also Liu state, Yan state, and Yancai state, also named Alan. All have the same customs as Kangju. In the west they touch Da Qin, and in the southeast they touch Kangju. This state has many famous martens. They herd livestock and follow water and grass, facing a great marsh. Formerly they were loosely subject to Kangju; now they are not subject.

The state of Hude lies north of the Congling Mountains, northwest of Wusun, and northeast of Kangju. It has more than ten thousand victorious soldiers. It follows livestock and herds, produces good horses, and has martens.

The state of Jiankun lies northwest of Kangju. It has thirty thousand victorious soldiers. It follows livestock and herds, also has many martens, and has good horses.

The state of Dingling lies north of Kangju. It has sixty thousand victorious soldiers. It follows livestock and herds, and produces famous rat skins, white kunzi skins, and blue kunzi skins.

Among the three states above, Jiankun is in the middle. All are seven thousand li from the Xiongnu chanyu's court at the Anxi River, five thousand li south from the six states of Cheshi, three thousand li southwest from the border of Kangju, and eight thousand li west from the seat of the king of Kangju.

Some think that this Dingling is the Northern Dingling of the Xiongnu, but the Northern Dingling lies west of Wusun; it seems to be a separate stock. Again, north of the Xiongnu there are the states of Hunyu, Qushe, Dingling, Gekun, and Xinli. This makes clear that south of the Northern Sea there is again a Dingling, not this Dingling west of Wusun.

The elders of Wusun say that among the Northern Dingling there is a Horse-Shank state. The voices of its people resemble geese and ducks. From the knees upward, body and head are human; below the knees they grow hair and have horse shanks and horse hooves. They do not ride horses, but when they run they are swifter than horses. As people, they are brave, strong, and daring in battle.

The state of Short People lies northwest of Kangju. Men and women are all three chi tall, and the people are very numerous. It is very far from Yancai and the other states. The elders of Kangju transmit that merchants have often crossed this state, and that it is about ten thousand li from Kangju.

Yu Huan's Closing Reflection

Yu Huan comments:

Common speech says that the fish of a pond in a courtyard do not know the greatness of rivers and seas, and that floating creatures do not know the breaths of the four seasons. Why is this? Because the place in which they live is small, and their lives are short.

Now I have broadly surveyed the outer foreigners and the states of Da Qin. Even so, it is still vast, as though an ignorance had only just been opened. How much more is this true of what Zou Yan extrapolated, and what the Great Changes and the Taixuan measured!

Confined vainly in a puddle like an ox's hoofprint, without the years of Pengzu, I have no means to entrust myself to the swift travel of the jing wind, or to ride a yaoniao horse and look far away. I can only weary myself gazing toward the three celestial bodies, and let my thoughts fly toward the eight wastes.

Colophon

This Good Works Translation was made from selected Classical Chinese passages from Yu Huan's Weilue Western Rong note, preserved in Pei Songzhi's annotation to Sanguozhi, Wei shu 30.

The English translation is independently derived from the Classical Chinese source body.

Compiled for the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.

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Source Text: Classical Chinese

### Western Regions Roads and Dependent States

西域諸國，漢初開其道，時有三十六，後分為五十餘。從建武以來，更相吞滅，于今有二十道。從燉煌玉門關入西域，前有二道，今有三道。從玉門關西出，經婼羌轉西，越蔥領，經縣度，入大月氏，為南道。從玉門關西出，發都護井，回三隴沙北頭，經居盧倉，從沙西井轉西北，過龍堆，到故樓蘭，轉西詣龜茲，至蔥領，為中道。從玉門關西北出，經橫坑，辟三隴沙及龍堆，出五船北，到車師界戊己校尉所治高昌，轉西與中道合龜茲，為新道。凡西域所出，有前史已具詳，今故略說。南道西行，且志國、小宛國、精絕國、樓蘭國皆并屬鄯善也。戎盧國、扞彌國、渠勒國、（穴山國）〔皮山國〕皆并屬于寘。罽賓國、大夏國、高附國、天竺國皆并屬大月氏。臨兒國，浮屠經云其國王生浮屠。浮屠，太子也。父曰屑頭邪，母云莫邪。浮屠身服色黃，髮青如青絲，乳青毛，蛉赤如銅。始莫邪夢白象而孕，及生，從母左脅出，生而有結，墮地能行七步。此國在天竺城中。天竺又有神人，名沙律。昔漢哀帝元壽元年，博士弟子景盧受大月氏王使伊存口受浮屠經曰復立者其人也。浮屠所載臨蒲塞、桑門、伯聞、疏問、白疏閒、比丘、晨門，皆弟子號也。浮屠所載與中國老子經相出入，蓋以為老子西出關，過西域之天竺、教胡。浮屠屬弟子別號，合有二十九，不能詳載，故略之如此。車離國一名禮惟特，一名沛隸王，在天竺東南三千餘里，其地卑溼暑熱。其王治沙奇城，有別城數十，人民怯弱，月氏、天竺擊服之。其地東西南北數千里，人民男女皆長一丈八尺，乘象、橐駝以戰，今月氏役稅之。盤越國一名漢越王，在天竺東南數千里，與益部相近，其人小與中國人等，蜀人賈似至焉。南道而西極轉東南盡矣。中道西行尉梨國、危須國、山王國皆并屬焉耆，姑墨國、溫宿國、尉頭國皆并屬龜茲也。楨中國、莎車國、竭石國、渠沙國、西夜國、依耐國、滿犁國、億若國、榆令國、損毒國、休脩國、琴國皆并屬疏勒。自是以西，大宛、安息、條支、烏弋。烏弋一名排特，此四國次在西，本國也，無增損。前世謬以為條支在大秦西，今其實在東。前世又謬以為彊於安息，今更役屬之，號為安息西界。前世又謬以為弱水在條支西，今弱水在大秦西。前世又謬以為從條支西行二百餘日，近日所入，今從大秦西近日所入。

### Northern New Road, Wusun, Kangju, Yancai, and Alan

北新道西行，至東且彌國、西且彌國、單桓國、畢陸國、蒲陸國、烏貪國，皆并屬車師後部王。王治于賴城，魏賜其王壹多雜守魏侍中，號大都尉，受魏王印。轉西北則烏孫、康居，本國無增損也。北烏伊別國在康居北，又有柳國，又有巖國，又有奄蔡國一名阿蘭，皆與康居同俗。西與大秦東南與康居接。其國多名貂，畜牧逐水草，臨大澤，故時羈屬康居，今不屬也。呼得國在蔥嶺北，烏孫西北，康居東北，勝兵萬餘人，隨畜牧，出好馬，有貂。堅昆國在康居西北，勝兵三萬人，隨畜牧，亦多貂，有好馬。丁令國在康居北，勝兵六萬人，隨畜牧，出名鼠皮，白昆子、青昆子皮。此上三國，堅昆中央，俱去匈奴單于庭安習水七千里，南去車師六國五千里，西南去康居界三千里，西去康居王治八千里。或以為此丁令即匈奴北丁令也，而北丁令在烏孫西，似其種別也。又匈奴北有渾窳國，有屈射國，有丁令國，有隔昆國，有新梨國，明北海之南自復有丁令，非此烏孫之西丁令也。烏孫長老言北丁令有馬脛國，其人音聲似雁騖，從膝以上身頭，人也，膝以下生毛，馬脛馬蹄，不騎馬而走疾馬，其為人勇健敢戰也。短人國在康居西北，男女皆長三尺，人眾甚多，去奄蔡諸國甚遠。康居長老傳聞常有商度此國，去康居可萬餘里。

### Yu Huan's Closing Reflection

魚豢議曰：俗以為營廷之魚不知江海之大，浮游之物不知四時之氣，是何也？以其所在者小與其生之短也。余今氾覽外夷大秦諸國，猶尚曠若發蒙矣，況夫鄒衍之所推出，大易、太玄之所測度乎！徒限處牛蹄之涔，又無彭祖之年，無緣託景風以迅游，載騕褭以遐觀，但勞眺乎三辰，而飛思乎八荒耳。

Source Colophon

The selected Classical Chinese source body was extracted from the local Weilue source dossier and copied for this translation pass at Tulku/Tools/scythian/sources/expansion_bench_2026-05-11/weilue_western_roads_wusun_kangju_yancai_chinese_source_manual88.txt.

The local source dossier identifies the witness as Yu Huan's Weilue Western Rong chapter as preserved in Pei Songzhi's annotation to Sanguozhi, Wei shu 30, with local capture files preserved for verification.

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