Chinese Mythology & Legends

Baihu, The White Tiger — The Warrior God of the West, Metal, and Slaughter

Baihu

The White Tiger is the divine beast of Metal in the West. It governs matters of

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Baize — The Illustrated Compendium of All Demons, Knowing Ghosts and Spirits

Baize

The Emperor made a tour of inspection, traveling east to the sea and ascending M

40

Bìfāng, The One-Legged Flame — The Ancient Bird That Brings Fire

Bìfāng

There is a bird here, shaped like a crane with one leg, red markings on a blue-g

6

Chongmingniao, The Double-Brightness Bird — A Four-Eyed Auspicious Bird That Wards Off Evil

Chongmingniao

Chongmingniao, The Double-Brightness Bird

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Dapeng, The Great Roc — The Carefree Giant Bird That Soars Ten Thousand Miles

Dapeng

In the Northern Sea there is a fish, and its name is Kun. The Kun is so huge tha

8

Fenghuang (Chinese Phoenix) — All Birds Pay Homage, Virtue and Propriety Under Heaven

Fenghuang

Five hundred li further east lies Mount Danxue. On this mountain dwells a bird t

24

Hundun, The Faceless Chaos — The Faceless, Mindless Primordial Chaos Beast

Hundun

There is a deity whose form resembles a yellow sack, red as cinnabar fire, with

42

Loong (Chinese Dragon) — Chief of Scaled Creatures, Supreme Among Beasts

Loong

In the northeast corner of the Great Wilderness, there is a mountain called Xion

35

Nian Shou, The New Year Monster — The Village-Devouring Beast of New Year's Eve

Nian Shou

Nian Shou, The New Year Monster

2

Nine-Tailed Fox — The Enchanting Vixen of a Thousand Years of Cultivation

Nine-Tailed Fox

Three hundred li further east, there is a mountain called Qingqiu. On it lives a

37

Qilin — An Auspicious Sign of Benevolent Beasts Descending to Bring Peace

Qilin

The qilin, the phoenix, the spirit turtle, and the divine dragon are collectivel

34

Qinglong, The Azure Dragon — The Eastern Dragon Deity of Spring

Qinglong

There are four great divine beasts in the heavens, used to mark the four cardina

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Qióngqí, The Winged Tyrant — The Winged Beast That Inverts Good and Evil

Qióngqí

On Guī Mountain there is a beast, shaped like an ox, with hedgehog-like bristles

8

Taotie — The Insatiably Gluttonous Ancient Beast

Taotie

There is a beast, with the body of a sheep and the face of a man, its eyes benea

16

Taowu, The Stubborn Brute — The Unyielding Ancient Beast

Taowu

There is a beast whose shape resembles a tiger with dog-like fur, two chi in len

46

Xièzhì, The Judge of Heaven — The Divine Beast That Distinguishes Loyalty from Treachery

Xièzhì

In the northeastern wilderness there is a beast called Xièzhì. It has a single h

10

Xuanwu, The Black Tortoise-Serpent — The United Guardian of the North

Xuanwu

Xuanwu, The Black Tortoise-Serpent

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Zhuque, The Vermilion Bird — Southern Fire Virtue, Bright Flame of the Celestial Office

Zhuque

The south belongs to the virtue of fire, governed by the Vermilion Bird. It spre

37

Bái Sù Zhēn, The White Snake Immortal — A Thousand Years of Cultivation for a Single Umbrella Encounter at Broken Bridge

Bái Sù Zhēn

Bái Sù Zhēn, The White Snake Immortal

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Beidou Xingjun (Lord of the Northern Dipper) — The Northern Star Deity Who Governs Life and Death

Beidou Xingjun

Beidou Xingjun (Lord of the Northern Dipper)

41

Caishen, God of Wealth — The Deity of Prosperity and Good Fortune

Caishen

If there were a popularity contest among Chinese deities, Caishen (the God of We

8

Chang'e, The Moon Goddess — The Lonely Queen Who Ascended to the Moon

Chang'e

The story of Chang'e is probably one of the most frequently adapted legends in C

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Ksitigarbha (Dizang Wang) — Vow Not to Attain Buddhahood Until Hell Is Empty

Ksitigarbha (Dizang Wang)

With a shaved, rounded head or wearing a five-Buddha crown, draped in a monk's r

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Erlang Shen — The Outsider War God with a Piercing Third Eye

Erlang Shen

In a celestial bureaucracy full of officials, administrators, and cosmic manager

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