• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.355-362
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• 2023

Characters in visual media have different symbolic meanings depending on their orientations or roles. 『山海經』 is a fantasy novel written around the 3rd or 4th century BC., and the characters in the classical Chinese novel have various meanings and symbols, such as disasters, wealth, diseases, etc., according to their types. The symbolism of animals that the Chinese think of, the symbolism of characters in fantasy novels, and the morphological analysis are necessary elements in the development of characters and the film industry in China. This study analyzed the images of characters as follows, focusing on classical Chinese fantasy novels 『山海经』, 『山海经圖象全體』, and 『山海經圖』 and the fantasy novels of the Qing Dynasty 『山海经存』 and 『山海经圖錄』. First, the shapes of characters are slightly different in illustration images. Second, Among 453 characters in 山海經, there are a total of 8 characters related to flood damage, such as floods, rainy season, etc.: 'Jangwoo', 'Hapyu', 'Hwasa', 'Yeongryeong', 'Buje', 'Seungwoo', 'Manman', and 'Naeo' Third, it can be seen that the characters are creative ones that are combined with objects and animals and plants, apart from the symbolic meanings of real animals and characters in 山海經. It is believed that the continuous analysis of the characters in 山海經 will enable them to be widely used in the film industry.