ShanHaiJing_XieShi: Classic of Mountains and Seas Comes to ARK
Chinese mythology has arrived on the ARK, and it swims. ShanHaiJing_XieShi is a creature expansion mod for ARK: Survival Ascended that brings beasts from the Classic of Mountains and Seas into the game, starting with the enormous Kun. If you have ever wanted to ride a living island across the ocean while your tribemates haul loot behind you, this mod was built for exactly that fantasy.
Created by modder HULUEJUN, the project aims for a grounded, realistic art style with no glowing effects or neon overlays. Every creature is designed to feel like it belongs in the world rather than floating above it, and the quality target is closer to official expansion content than a quick workshop upload. That philosophy shows immediately in the Kun, the first creature to join the roster.
Meet the Kun: A Moving Island in the Sea
The Kun is the flagship creature of ShanHaiJing_XieShi, and it earns that role through sheer scale. It is a massive ocean dweller that behaves less like a normal tame and more like a mobile base on the water. Once tamed, it can carry you across the map at high speed, turning long ocean crossings into quick trips and making deep-sea resource runs far less painful.
Taming the Kun follows a straightforward knockout route. You will need to knock it unconscious and feed it, and its preferred food includes Wyvern eggs alongside other meats. The Kun does not require a saddle, which makes it unusually accessible for a creature of its size. The Kun also spawns on Scorched Earth, so survivors on that map can pursue it without transferring to another server.
Kun Taming Quick Reference
- Creature: Kun, a colossal oceanic beast
- Spawn map: Scorched Earth
- Taming method: Knockout and feed
- Preferred food: Wyvern eggs and other meats
- Saddle: Not required
What Is Coming Next in ShanHaiJing_XieShi
The Kun is only the opening act. The developer has stated that more Classic of Mountains and Seas creatures are planned, including the Kui Niu, Baize, Cheng Huang, and Taotie. Each of these beasts is intended to have its own distinct abilities and its own taming method, so the mod should keep offering fresh goals long after you have your first Kun swimming laps around your base.
That roadmap matters for two types of players. Collectors who enjoy filling out a roster of mythological tames will find plenty to chase, while players focused on combat and utility will care about the practical roles these creatures fill. The Kun already covers transport, resource gathering support, and combat assistance in one package, which sets a high bar for the creatures that follow.
Version Support and Mod Compatibility
ShanHaiJing_XieShi is built for ARK: Survival Ascended and is distributed through the standard CurseForge mod system that ASA uses. Because the game updates frequently, it is worth checking that your server or single-player save is running a current build before adding new mods, since mismatched versions are the most common cause of loading problems. The mod is designed to work alongside other content mods, but any add-on that touches creature spawns or ocean spawn containers can overlap with it, so review your active mod list if you run a heavily modded cluster.
If you would rather skip manual file handling entirely, the foxygame.net launcher offers a one-click install path that pulls ShanHaiJing_XieShi straight into your setup without you ever touching a folder. Its add-on catalog also tracks version compatibility, so you can see at a glance whether the mod matches your current ARK: Survival Ascended build before you commit.
How to Install ShanHaiJing_XieShi
Getting started is simple, whether you play solo or run a server.
- Open ARK: Survival Ascended and go to the mods section of the main menu.
- Search for ShanHaiJing_XieShi in the mod browser.
- Subscribe or add the mod to your active list, then wait for the download to finish.
- For a server, add the mod ID to your server configuration and restart so clients can pull it automatically.
- Load your world and travel to Scorched Earth to find the Kun.
When you download ShanHaiJing_XieShi, keep in mind that mods of this scale add new assets, so the first load after installing will take longer than usual. After that, the creature behaves like any other tame in your world.
Final Thoughts
ShanHaiJing_XieShi fills a niche that ARK has never really covered: a serious, realistic take on Chinese mythological creatures, delivered with expansion-level polish. The Kun alone changes how ocean travel and deep-water farming feel, and the planned lineup of Kui Niu, Baize, Cheng Huang, and Taotie suggests the mod will only get more interesting over time. If you want a reason to explore the seas again, this is a strong one.