East China Sea in “Mermaid Princess Amelia and the Lost Symphony” by Maxine Foti
The East China Sea is located between China, South Korea, Japan and Ryukyu Islands, which divide it from the Philippine Sea. The East China Sea region is ruled by monsoon. Sometimes, the current Kuroshio from Japan enters the sea from the northern side.
In the mermaids’ world, it is home to a mermaid empire ruled by the Guo family. Amelia meets the emperor’s daughter, Guo Guiying, who however uses an English name in Europe, presenting herself as Greene Grant.
Judging by Greene’s looks, mermaids from that empire have dark green hair, and light brown eyes. It’s unknown, what their tails look like.
Greene is friends with Taisuke, who’s from Sambath’s colony in Japan’s Inland Sea. This indicates that there’s likely a positive relationship between her and his country.
The artifacts of the East China Sea, was a golden salt bowl encrusted with jade and shells.
East China Sea in “Stories from the Undersea World of Mermaid Princess Amelia, Vol. 2” by Maxine Foti
In Huang Yan’s Story
Overview
In this story, the East China Sea is presented as a neighboring empire and a distinct political and cultural region. It is not described through broad geography, but it emerges through its ruler, its princess, its attaché, its city Lucheng, its diplomatic activity, its martial arts, and its art.
The Emperor and Royal Family of the East China Sea
The East China Sea has its own emperor. His daughter is Guo Guiying, who is the fourth cousin of Huang Yan and Huang Ling. Guiying is eight years old at the Sea Pirates’ Camp. She has a green tail related to the green dragon, and like the brothers’ tails, it is cornified. She often wears black kung-fu shirts and keeps her hair in two buns, giving her a mischievous look. She is extremely playful and a real nuisance to the two brothers, often swimming after them and calling them sea slugs. Huang Ling gets upset, but Huang Yan understands that she does not act out of malice; she is bored and lonely.
Guiying’s Ocean language skills are nearly non-existent. She speaks Shanghainese and a bit of Mandarin. Eventually the two brothers make peace with her and let her team up with them. Later, she is identified specifically as “Guo Guiying from Lucheng, East China Sea,” and the story suggests that she may be the person meant to solve the one mystery that began during the Ghost Month but was not solved.
The ruler of the East China Sea is also the counterpart of Huang Suoyu. Near the end of the story, Huang Yan’s father says that his counterpart in the East China Sea will visit very soon for the family’s gathering at the end of the Ghost Month, and he requires Huang Yan to participate.
Lucheng, East China Sea
Lucheng is a city in the East China Sea. It is the destination of the old master Zhen Qiang and the warrior Wu Shen. After Wu Shen defeated the guards and taifengquan adepts and entered the old master’s chambers, the old master disappeared. Huang Yan’s father later explains that Master Zhen left of his own accord together with Wu Shen, and that they went “to Lucheng in the East China Sea.” He does not know why, because he did not bother asking.
This journey remains the only mystery that starts but is not solved during the Ghost Month. The narrator notes that perhaps someone else was meant to solve it: Huang Yan’s fourth cousin, Guo Guiying from Lucheng, East China Sea.
Lucheng is also connected to art. Aunt Ting commissioned a painting from a famous artist from Lucheng, East China Sea. She is fascinated by the painting’s subject, and she also admires an artwork that she recently acquired from the East China Sea.
Hai Yao, Attaché of the East China Sea
Hai Yao is the attaché of the East China Sea. She is a beautiful, single mermaid of twenty-six springs. She always dresses in short, pearl-colored qipao dresses that accentuate her graceful figure. Her grass-green hair falls to her chin, is gathered on one side of her face, and is adorned with an exquisite Chinese comb embellished with pearls. What adds a touch of uniqueness to her appearance is her short, sturdy emerald tail with a forked fin.
As an attaché from the East China Sea, Hai Yao plays a crucial role in local diplomatic affairs, representing her region with utmost professionalism. Her expertise and experience allow her to navigate international relations with ease, making her a valuable asset in any diplomatic setting. She is also a polyglot, effortlessly conversing in multiple languages, and she possesses a remarkable talent for playing the zither, captivating listeners with melodious tunes.
Hai Yao has a playful and romantic dynamic with Huang Ling. Huang Yan accidentally catches a glimpse of them engaging in playful banter that clearly hints at a romantic connection. Later, Yu Hai overhears Hai Yao speaking with an expert in foreign affairs and international relations. She says that the time is ripe for their plan, that they must proceed cautiously and ensure their interests are protected. The expert replies that the situation requires precision, but he is not worried because their success hinges on their diplomatic prowess. Yu Hai initially believes Hai Yao is a spy and agent, much like the famous Rui Shan.
When Yu Hai confronts her, Hai Yao insists he has misunderstood. She explains that the plan she has been discussing with Mr. Zhao Wenti is something the emperor himself requested them to do during the upcoming sea summit, aided by his sister, Huang Ting. The purpose is to seek support from other nations for their diplomatic mission, aimed at strengthening their position in the sea. There is no evil intent behind it. She makes Yu Hai swear not to divulge the details to anyone.
Education and Martial Arts
The East China Sea appears in the academic context of Huangcheng Daxue. The university’s esteemed philosophy department occasionally relates its courses to the neighboring empire, the East China Sea. Its courses are otherwise strictly related to the South China Sea, but the East China Sea is the one neighboring empire that occasionally enters the curriculum.
The East China Sea is also linked to undersea martial arts. Taifengquan, which means “typhoon fist,” is a shadow-boxing art so popular in the story’s home country that the number of students exceeds those training in various undersea versions of kung fu, prominent both there and in the East China Sea.
Art and Culture
The East China Sea is associated with art and craftsmanship. Aunt Ting owns an artwork recently acquired from the East China Sea. She also commissioned a painting from a famous artist from Lucheng, East China Sea. This painting depicts Rui Shan, the exotic dancer and courtesan who became famous in the early twentieth century. Aunt Ting’s fascination with Rui Shan is tied to the painting’s East China Sea origin.
Diplomacy and the Ghost Month
The East China Sea is deeply involved in the diplomatic atmosphere of the Ghost Month. Hai Yao, its attaché, is part of a plan connected to the upcoming sea summit. The plan is said to be requested by the emperor himself and aided by Huang Ting. Its goal is to seek support from other nations for a diplomatic mission to strengthen their position in the sea.
Near the end of the Ghost Month, Huang Yan’s father is organizing the family’s gathering. He tells Huang Yan that his counterpart in the East China Sea will visit very soon and that Huang Yan must participate.
Meanwhile, the old master Zhen Qiang and Wu Shen have gone to Lucheng in the East China Sea. Why they went there is never explained. This remains the only mystery that begins during the Ghost Month but is left unsolved, with the suggestion that Guo Guiying from Lucheng, East China Sea, may be the one meant to solve it.
In Greene’s Story
The East China Sea, as depicted in the story, is a realm of breathtaking beauty, sophisticated culture, and underlying peril. It is a kingdom that has mastered the art of blending ancient merfolk traditions with the glamorous, international style of the early 20th century, particularly the Art Deco movement that swept through Shanghai. This creates a unique underwater society that is both wondrously alien and strangely familiar. The architecture is not comprised of typical coral and rock formations, but of reconstructed buildings that mirror the land’s lost splendour, now adapted for aquatic life. The social fabric is a complex web of old-money aristocracy, ambitious new elites, artists, and criminals, all navigating a world where appearance is paramount and treachery lurks beneath a polished surface. The capital city, Lucheng, is the vibrant, beating heart of this empire, a place where fortunes are made, dreams are pursued, and secrets are easily drowned out by the murmur of the currents.
Lucheng: The Glamorous and Treacherous Capital
Lucheng is the dazzling, decadent capital of the East China Sea, a metropolis that serves as the story’s primary stage. It is a city of stark contrasts: immense wealth exists alongside desperate poverty, and stunning beauty masks deep-seated corruption. The city’s defining architectural feature is its Art Deco style. Most of its buildings were destroyed during the war with the Yellow Sea and subsequently rebuilt in the 1920s and 1930s, mirroring the international trend of the time. The cityscape is therefore characterized by fantastic embellishments, vibrant stained-glass elements that filter sunlight into dancing rainbows, lavish sculptures of sea deities and mythical beasts, and elaborate, high-contrast geometrical mosaics that adorn the façades. The effect is one of grandeur and artistic allure, a deliberate statement of the East China Sea’s resilience and modernity.
The city is a true fashion hub of the western Pacific, boasting a multitude of talented designers like Madame Liu. Its residents are style-conscious, with mermaids favoring elegant dresses reminiscent of 1930s Shanghai and mermen sporting sleek, Western-inspired jackets. Yet, for all its sophistication, Lucheng is not a safe city. Qiuling’s constant vigilance is a testament to the gangsters and criminals who operate in its shadowy backstreets and speakeasies, making it a place where a princess can never swim alone. It is a city of allure and artifice, where one must always be wary of the current beneath the calm surface.
The Jade Palace: This is the imperial residence, an ornate and sprawling complex that is a masterpiece of undersea architecture. It is a sanctuary of luxury and refinement, but also a gilded cage for Guiying. The palace features green agate floors, corridors adorned with lavish golden sculptures, and rooms like Guiying’s own sleeping chamber, which is ventilated by water ducts and illuminated by mesmerizing chemical reactions flowing through milk-colored wall carvings. The furniture is a mix of exquisite chinoiserie and pieces crafted from serpentine rock, like Guiying’s majestic sea dragon chair and her luxurious kang bed with pearly white silk bedding. The palace is a world unto itself, housing ballrooms, porcelain rooms, and living quarters, each space designed to project the power, history, and cultural sophistication of the imperial family. It is a place of both immense privilege and stifling expectation.
The Oriental Pearl Bank: Located in the wealthy western district of Lucheng, the bank is a magnificent jewel of opulence and the site of the story’s central mystery. It stands as a gilded treasury, its façade adorned with luminous pearls from the Thai Pearl Empire, symbolizing its immense wealth and security. The interior is a lavish, echoing foyer, but its true marvel lies in the octagonal crypt that houses the vault—the number eight symbolizing wealth in Chinese culture. The vault itself is a character: a mighty structure of stainless steel with a stern, austere exterior embossed with mythological figures. It is a technological and architectural marvel, a blend of Sambathian “living architecture” and Mu “spiritual architecture,” designed by the genius Shei Zhidao. This vertical, living maze, powered by salinity gradient energy, is as intelligent and secretive as it is terrifying, representing the peak of merfolk engineering and the ultimate challenge for any thief.
The Sea Nymph’s Ballroom: Within the Jade Palace, this ballroom is the epicenter of Lucheng’s high society. It is a spectacle of luxury, adorned with rich sea grass curtains, art deco mirrors, and lacquered furniture. The centerpiece is a grand seashell gramophone perched on a moss-grown scholar’s rock, playing eastern jazz for the gathered elite. It is here that the social hierarchy is on full display, with merpeople in their most glamorous attire—qingse dresses and stylish suits—networking, gossiping, and solidifying alliances. The ballroom is a stage for performance, both social and literal, and it is where the news of the bank robbery first breaks, shattering the illusion of perfect security and carefree luxury.
The Lucheng Library: This sanctuary of literature is an architectural wonder in its own right. Its resplendent jade structure is designed to look like a giant book with pages fluttering in the sea current, a testament to the empire’s reverence for knowledge. Inside, it has an air of intellectual grandeur, housing countless volumes that hold the secrets of the sea’s history, including the works of Shei Zhidao. It is a place of quiet research and earnest discovery, where Emperor Guo Hai and Guiying, aided by diligent volunteers, piece together the clues about the vault’s design, representing the pursuit of truth through scholarship.
The Pacific Harmony Foreign Music School: This institution reflects the cosmopolitan nature of Lucheng. It is a place where talented young merpeople like Ning Ning and Shui Ying hone their artistic skills. The corridors are filled with the captivating melodies of improvised piano pieces, a symbol of culture and refinement. The school represents a more personal and emotional world compared to the political intrigue of the palace, a place where personal passions are nurtured and young relationships, like the budding romance between Ning Ning and Shui Ying, can flourish away from the prying eyes of the court.
The Speakeasy: Hidden in the backstreets of Lucheng, this establishment represents the city’s underworld. It is a covert bar, its entrance watched by lookouts, accessible through a locked rear door. Inside, the atmosphere is thick with intrigue and the captivating sound of electro-swing music. The long wooden bar, crafted from a well-preserved, sunken boat, is where gangsters like Mr. Yue congregate. It is a world of shadows and secrets, where deals are made in whispers and identities are fluid. For Guiying, entering the speakeasy as “Guihua” is a thrilling, dangerous foray into a reality far removed from her sheltered palace life.
The Great Glam Clam Hotel: Occupying a prime location in Lucheng’s commercial hub, this hotel is the playground for the affluent and renowned. Adjacent to a warehouse filled with global goods, it epitomizes the city’s prosperity and its connections to the wider ocean. With its racecourse and theater, it is a center for entertainment and leisure for the elite, a place where the wealthy see and are seen. It symbolizes the materialistic and glamorous side of Lucheng that both attracts and alienates Guiying.
The Typhoon Fist Monastery: This temple in Lucheng is a bastion of discipline and martial arts tradition. It is a place where physical prowess and spiritual strength are cultivated, representing a different kind of power from the political and financial might of the bank or the palace. It is from here that the elite guards are drawn, and it serves as a network connecting masters and students across the seas, as seen when Master Zhen Qiang seeks help from its local proprietor.
Mocheng: The Town of Illusion
Nestled on the border between the East and South China Seas, Mocheng is a historical town steeped in mystery and enchantment. Famous for its vibrant magical scene, it is a place where the sorcery elements of both seas blend seamlessly. The town is characterized by its numerous modest family-owned theaters and grander stages that host captivating shows of sleight of hand, mind-reading, and large-scale illusions. It is a hub for aspiring magicians, a place where talent like Yue Lingwu’s can be honed but also where it can be easily lost in the crowd without the right connections. Mocheng represents the path not taken, the world of artistic passion and struggle that stands in contrast to the polished, commercialized glamour of Lucheng. It is a town of dreams and disillusionment, where a name can mean both everything and nothing.
East China Sea in “Mermaid Princess Amelia and the Destiny’s Theater” by Maxine Foti
The East China Sea serves as both a kingdom and a realm, its waters ruled by Emperor Guo, father of Princess Greene Grant. The kingdom’s identity is intrinsically tied to the sea itself, with the merpeople’s culture and economy shaped by the rich waters of the Chinese coast. Greene Grant, known by her Chinese name Guo Guiying, represents her father’s realm in international affairs, attending classes and working at the Jade Dragon restaurant in Santa Ana while maintaining her royal responsibilities.
The kingdom works on establishing an undersea silk road, a project that could coexist with the jewel road proposed by the Kingdom of One Thousand Jewels. The abundance of jade in the region provides a natural resource for trade, with enough supply to support both the silk road and potential partnerships with other nations. Greene’s enthusiasm for Kamadia’s jewel road project reflects the East China Sea’s openness to economic cooperation, and her suggestion to host a business dinner demonstrates the practical approach to diplomacy that characterizes the kingdom’s foreign policy.
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