Photographer captures 'real' living legends

A set of photos depicting the legendary beings and fantasy worlds described in the Book of Mountains and Seas, a classic compendium of Chinese mythology, have been circulating online recently.

The pictures, which have captured the imagination of many fans, were created by Chen Xin, a 24-year-old photographer from Chengdu, Sichuan province.

In her pictures, creatures and characters - such as a mermaid who cried pearl tears, a butterfly that weighs more than 80 kilograms, a fish with a bird's head and a white deer with four antlers that only appears during floods - all come alive in the form of fairy spirits.