List of legendary creatures from China

The following is a list of legendary creatures recorded from Chinese mythology.

A

The Azure Dragon is depicted on the flag of the Qing Dynasty.

• Ao, a mythological tortoise who has a burning shell and cheeks with magma on them.
• Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the East Sea.
• Azure Dragon, also called Qinglong, a dragon that represents the cardinal point East and Spring.

B

Baihu

• Bai Ze, a cow-like monster with a human head, six horns and nine eyes.
• Baihu
• Bai Suzhen
• Bailongma
• Bashe, a python-like snake that ate elephants. ^[1]
• Bifang, a crane-like bird with only one foot that is accompanied by strange fires ^[2]
• Bixi, a dragon with the shell of a turtle.
• Birds in Chinese mythology
• Black Tortoise, a turtle that represents the cardinal point North and Winter.

The Black Tortoise

• Bo beast, a horse-like beast with one horn that eats tigers and leopards. ^[3]
• Bovidae in Chinese mythology
• Boyi, a sheep-like beast with nine tails and four ears and eyes on its back. A man who wears fur of boyi will have no fear. ^[4]

C

• Canshen
• Chi (mythology), a hornless dragon.
• Chinese guardian lions, traditional architectural ornaments.

Guardian lions in Beijing

• Chinese dragon

Chinese dragon from around the 17th century.

• Chituma, steed of General Lü Bu.
• Chiwen, a dragon that protects against fires, floods, and typhoons.
• Crane in Chinese mythology

D

A Denglong

• Denglong, a mythical creature that acts as messenger between heaven and earth.
• Dilong
• Dog in Chinese mythology
• Dragon (zodiac)
• Dragon King
• Dragon turtle, mythical creature with head of a dragon and body of a tortoise which symbolises courage, power, and success.

F

• Feng (mythology), an edible monster that resembles a two-eyed lump of meat and magically grows back as fast as it is eaten.
• Fenghuang, Chinese phoenix

Fenghuang

• Feilian, god of the wind who is a winged dragon with the head of a deer and tail of a snake.
• Feilong, winged legendary creature that flies among clouds.
• Fish in Chinese mythology
• Four Perils
• Four Symbols, also called Sixiang, four legendary animals that represent the points of the compass.
• Fox spirit, a famous mythological fox-like creature. Also called huli jing, huyao, huxian, or huzu.

A Hulijing

• Fuzhu, a Chinese deer with four horns, possessing a gentle countenance, a likeness to be clean, and usually appears during periods of flood.
• Fuzanglong, the dragon of hidden treasures.

H

• Hong (rainbow-dragon), two headed rainbow serpent.
• Huan beast, a cat-like beast with only one eye and three tails with the sound of the chirping of hundreds of animals ^[3]
• Huli jing, see Fox Spirit.
• Hundun
• Huodou, a huge black dog that emits fire from its mouth.

J

• Jiangshi, a hopping vampire.
• Jiaolong, a hornless scaled dragon.
• Jin Chan, a prosperity frog.
• Jingwei, a bird who is determined to dry up the sea. It was morphed from a girl who drowned in the sea.
• Jiufeng or Nine-headed Bird, an earlier version of the Fenghuang.
• Jinnalaluo, divine creatures with human bodies and animal heads.
• Jiuweihu, a huli jing with nine-tails
• Jueyuan (mythology), creatures that look similar to monkeys.

K

• Kalaviṅka, creatures with a human head and a bird's torso, with long flowing tail.
• Kui (Chinese mythology)

L

• Lake Tianchi Monster
• Linggui, a spirit turtle, chief of all shelled creatures.
• Longma, a winged horse with dragon scales.
• Longmu
• Luan (mythology), a bird which carries a shield and tramples on snakes while wearing one on its breast.
• Luduan, a deer with green coat, horse tail, and one horn which can travel 18,000 li in a single day and speaks all world languages.
• Lushu, a white headed horse with markings on its body like a tiger, a red tail, and a neigh like people singing folk songs.

M

• Mo (Chinese zoology)
• Mogwai (Chinese culture), evil spirits who reproduces during mating seasons triggered by the coming of rain.
• Moon rabbit, a mythical figure who is a companion of Chang'E and pounds the elixir of life constantly for her.

N

• Nian, a beast related to the Chinese New Year.
• Nine-headed Bird, see Jiufeng and Fenghuang.
• Nine sons of the Dragon

O

• Ox-Head and Horse-Face, two guardians of the underworld.

P

• Panhu, a dog who transformed into a man.
• Panlong (mythology), an aquatic dragon.
• Peng (mythology), a mystical giant bird of the ocean.
• Penghou, a tree spirit.
• Pixiu, strong winged lions that protect Fengshui practitioners.
• Pig dragon
• Pulao (dragon)

Q

• Qilin, a hooved dragon-like creature with antlers and the body of an ox, deer, or horse.

Qilin at Qingyang Palace

Qilins and Elephants at a Spirit Way

• Qianlima, a winged horse that can run a thousand miles at a step.
• Qingniao, messenger birds of the Queen Mother of the West.
• Qiongqi, a winged tiger, one of the Four Perils. ^[5]
• Qitu beast, a row-like bird with three heads and six tails and likes to laugh like a human being. ^[6]
• Qiulong

R

• Ranyi fish, a snake-like fish with the head of a snake, six legs, and eyes like the ears of a horse. Eating one made people sleep without nightmares and protect one from evil. ^[3]
• Ruishi, Chinese guardian lions.

Ming Dynasty era stone lion

S

• Shen (clam-monster)
• Shenlong, a dragon who is the master of storms and also a bringer of rain.
• Shennong
• Shōjō
• Shuhu beast, a wild beast with a horse's body and bird's wings, a human's face and a snake's tail. It likes to hug and lift people up. ^[7]
• Sky Fox (mythology), a golden Hulijing that has reached 1000 years of age.
• Sun Wukong, a fire monkey with a golden rod also the Monkey King.

T

• Taotie, a fiendish creature known for its greediness.
• Tenghuang, a fox with horns on its back or a horse-like creature.
• Teng (mythology), a flying dragon.
• Three-legged crow, also known as Jinwu or Taiyang Shenniao

Three legged crow in a Mural from the Han Dynasty

• Three Corpses
• Tiangou, a dog which eats the moon, resulting in an eclipse.
• Tianma, a heavenly horse.

Statue of a heavenly horse (Tianma)

• Tianlong
• Tiger in Chinese culture

W

• Wangliang
• White Tiger (mythology), also known as Baihu, a white tiger which symbolises the direction West and the season autumn.
• Winged unicorn

X

• Xiangliu, venomous nine-headed snake-like monster that brings floods and destruction.
• Xiao (mythology), name for multiple types of mythical creatures.
• Xiaotianquan, a mythological dog.
• Xiezhi, a creature which symbolises justice.
• Xingtian

Y

• Yaoguai
• Yinglong
• Yeren
• Yong, an owl-like bird with a human face and four eyes and ears. Its cry was the pronunciation of its own name, and when it appeared there was a great drought in the world. ^[4]

Z

• Zhenniao, a legendary bird with poisonous feathers.
• Zhulong (mythology), a giant red solar dragon and god.
• Zhuque, a Vermilion Bird, one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations.
• Zouyu a precious beast as big as a tiger, with five colors and a tail longer than its body known for travelling 1000 li per day ^[8]

See also

• List of Chinese mythology
• Chinese deities
• Chinese gods and immortals
• Chinese mythology
• Korean mythology
• List of legendary creatures from Japan

References

1. Strassberg, Richard E., editor, translator, and comments. 2002 [2018]. A Chinese Bestiary: Strange Creatures from the GUIDEWAYS THROUGH MOUNTAINS AND SEAS. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. p. 213
2. Strassberg, Richard E., editor, translator, and comments. 2002 [2018]. A Chinese Bestiary: Strange Creatures from the GUIDEWAYS THROUGH MOUNTAINS AND SEAS. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. p. 110–111
3. Classics of Mountain and Sea, Vol. 2. Xishanjing
4. Classics of Mountain and Sea, Vol. 1. Nanshanjing
5. Strassberg, Richard E., editor, translator, and comments. 2002 [2018]. A Chinese Bestiary: Strange Creatures from the GUIDEWAYS THROUGH MOUNTAINS AND SEAS. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. p. 222
6. Classics of Mountain and Sea, Vol. 3. Beishanjing
7. Strassberg, Richard E., editor, translator, and comments. 2002 [2018]. A Chinese Bestiary: Strange Creatures from the GUIDEWAYS THROUGH MOUNTAINS AND SEAS. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. p. 118-1191
8. Strassberg, Richard E., editor, translator, and comments. 2002 [2018]. A Chinese Bestiary: Strange Creatures from the GUIDEWAYS THROUGH MOUNTAINS AND SEAS. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. p. 224