Tradition / Region: China
Alternate Names: Jiaoshou
Category: Mermaid, Shapshifter, Shark
The Myth
In ancient Chinese legend there is a creature called the Jiao Jing, also known as Jiaoshou. The name “jiao” is associated with the shark, and the being is said to dwell in deep waters.
It is told that the Jiao Jing is no ordinary beast of the sea, but a spirit capable of transformation. In certain accounts, the mermaid spirit can assume the form of a beautiful woman, or even that of a man. In this guise it walks among human beings, hiding its true nature beneath flawless skin and graceful form.
One tale speaks of a young woman who appeared before a household bearing sorrowful claims. She said she had been mistreated and abused by her stepmother, and a kindly couple of the Zhao family took pity on her and offered her shelter. She was quiet, strange, and unlike other women. In time it was discovered that she was not human at all, but a shark spirit in disguise.
Thus the Jiao Jing is remembered as a being of the waters who may rise from the depths wearing human beauty as a mask, moving silently between sea and shore.
Gallery
Sources
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). 鲛精. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved February 14, 2026, from https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%B2%9B%E7%B2%BE
Interpretive Lenses
Religious Readings
- Christian Ascetic Deep Dive
Philosophical Readings
- Nietzschean Deep Dive
Psychological Readings
- Jungian Deep Dive
Esoteric Deep Dive
- Hermetic Deep Dive
Political / Social Readings
- Marxist Deep Dive
Other
- How to Invite The Jiao Jing