Overview | History
Wan (ĺ®›), generally referred to as either Southern Wan or Great Wan, was a country in Tai Sui by Priest. It was the home of the Xuanyin sect and the imperial Zhou family, and thus the home of many of the novel's major characters, including the protagonist Xi Ping.
Wan's capital city was Jinping.
Southern Wan was the second largest country on Tai Sui's continent. It was bordered by Li to the north, Chu to the west, and the Land of Turmoil (formerly Southern He) to the south. Its western border with Chu was marked by the Xia river, and its northern border with Li was marked largely by the Hong River and a range of non-spiritual mountains.2
With the exception of two mountain ranges, Wan's landscape consisted almost entirely of open plains.2
The grand canal cut through Wan from north to south, creating a major trade route. This waterway was particularly important for trade with Northern Li.1
Wan also relied greatly on the Cloud Soaring Flood Dragons after their construction, which transported goods across Wan to the outer edges of the nation.1
In the years after the coming of Moon Plated Gold, Southern Wan became a major center of industry. The city of Jinping became particularly industrialized, shipping goods, especially textiles, all over the continent. This industrialization made the city a draw for workers all over the country, and able-bodied laborers from all across Wan migrated there every year.1
For more about the industrial culture in Jinping, see Jinping and The Southern Outskirts.
Southern Wan had a state cultivation sect, Xuanyin, which was one of the four great sects of its day.1
Every ten years, Xuanyin sent an immortal to Jinping to choose a new class of disciples for the sect. This event was known as the Grand Selection, and it was celebrated all across the region. These celebrations included countless smaller contests, festivals, and selections held in Jinping.1
Across the nation, Southern Wan's citizens suffered from immense class disparities. The wealthy and powerful were held far above poor workers, and the nobility were held far above the common wealthy. The poor were broadly ignored and/or disrespected, left living in desperate conditions, and citizens of means had to remain respectful and subservient to the nobility. Only nobles are allowed to become cultivators, allowing those of noble blood to live forever and attain power unimaginable to common people.1
In the capital Jinping, walls surrounded the city, and a river ran through its center, and the city's social classes were divided by this river and these walls. The river's East bank lacked the West bank's opulence, and the southern outskirts beyond the walls were home to poor workers living in shanties—unable to pay even the lowest rent within the city proper.1