This presentation aims to depict the world as imagined by the Chinese in traditional times. First, it will explore the kinds of imaginations they had when very limited movement was allowed, before any significant contact with the outside world took place. Then, it will compare this with the world they envisioned after becoming aware of foreign lands. The former can be divided into two categories: the vague, mythical world imagined in legends and the world envisioned by those who tried to erase the mythical elements.