"昆侖"是古代重要的地理與文化空間符號,與女神西王母也有密切的連結。"昆侖"一詞多見于上中古傳世文獻中,《山海經》中有單詞名之為"昆侖"者,亦有復合詞名之為"昆侖之丘""昆侖墟"及"昆侖之墟"者。昆侖在《山海經》中以"丘""墟""山"的多種空間形式,發展到緯書地理"柱"的形態,"地之中"的強化以及"山"地理空間形態的確立。"昆侖"在漢魏之后,不斷層累迭加,以"山"的地理形貌,取代了《山海經》中的"丘"或"墟"的地理特征,成為"昆侖"最具代表性的地理空間樣態。歷來學界對于昆侖大都偏重在其真實地理與神話地理之研究,但昆侖既是一個靜態的自然地理,又是一個動態的文化空間,不斷被增衍創造,其空間形式在建構發展的過程中,亦具有或"山"或"丘"或"墟"的多元地理空間形式,此一地理空間及其象征轉化之探討,對于昆侖神話發展的掌握,以及神話地理所隱藏的人文精神之發掘具有重要的意義。在此,以《山海經》為主,回歸先秦兩漢傳世文獻,在文本語境中重新探討"昆侖"一詞之意涵及其空間形態性質,以及這些空間的神圣性建構及其文化象征意涵。

"Kunlun"is an important symbol of geography and culture in ancient China.Kunlun also has a relationship with the goddess XiWangmu.The word"Kunlun"is often found in the documents of the Middle Ages.In Shan Hai Jing,the word name is"Kunlun",and the compound name is"Kunlunqiu"and "KunlunXu".Kunlun further developed from the various spaces of Shan Hai Jing to the "earth pillar"of Wei Shu.Kunlun was further strengthened as a"center of the earth"and a"mountain"space form.After the Han and Wei Dynasties,Kunlun’s spatial form had been cumulatively superimposed.The geographical features of the"mountain"have replaced the geographical features of"Qiu"or"Xu"in Shan Hai Jingand become the most representative form of the geospatial space of"Kunlun".Most scholars in the past had focused on the study of real geography and mythology,but Kunlun is both a static physical geography and a vibrant cultural space,which is constantly spreading and creating.Focusing on Shan Hai Jing and returning to the documents of the pre-Qin and Han Dynasties,this article re-examines the meaning of the word"Kunlun"and the cultural symbolic meaning of these spaces.