Mythical Creatures and Animals in Chinese Mythology, Folklore, and Legends
Mythical Creatures in the Classic of Mountains and Seas
Some ancient mythical creatures were documented in a book known as The Classic of Mountains and Seas, which is believed to have been written by Yu the Great, founder of the first empire, the Xia Dynasty (about 2070 BC — 1600 BC) in the history of China.
Yu the Great embarked on extensive journeys across various regions in China, leading his people in the battle against a colossal flood and triumphing over malevolent monsters.
He was not only an exceptional king and true hero but also an avid chronicler, recording the remarkable clans he encountered and the multitude of mythical creatures inhabiting those lands.
Mythical Creatures and Their Meanings in Chinese Culture
Over time, a wealth of mythical creatures has been discovered and chronicled within the realms of Chinese folklore and historical records.
From the eras of the Flame Emperor (Yan Di) and Yellow Emperor (Huang Di) to luminaries like Confucius and Dong Zhongshu, who officially endorsed the Interactions between Heaven and Mankind in 134 BC, it has been a prevailing belief that the appearances of auspicious creatures serve as harbingers of prosperous reigns and flourishing eras. Conversely, the absence of these creatures may indicate otherwise.
This profound belief has etched a significant mark on Chinese culture, as those legendary animals have become popular Chinese Patterns in clothing, jewelry, decor, and architecture, and have frequently been woven into the tapestry of literary works.
Among these legendary creatures, four stand out as particularly miraculous, benevolent, and auspicious: the Dragon (representing Variability), the Phoenix (symbolizing Knowledge), the Qilin (embodying Honesty), and the Turtle (associated with Divinity).
Dragon
In Chinese culture, there are many types of dragons. Most are brave, powerful, variable, insightful, invincible, intelligent, and caring about human beings.
Up in the sky, they are in charge of wind, thunder, and rain; down on earth, they control rivers, seas, and lakes.
Ying Long — Dragon of Earth and Power
Ying Long lies in the middle of the sky (Read the Other Four Mythical Animals Guarding on the Sky) and represents the earth in the Five Elements.
It controls wind and rain and is superior to other mystical creatures.
Therefore, the images of the yellow dragon with five claws were strictly and exclusively used by emperors in history.
In ancient books, Ying Long had assisted the Yellow Emperor (Huang Di) and Yu the Great and made distinguished contributions in defeating evil beasts and massive floods.
Unlike other dragons in China, Ying Long had two wings that later evolved into colorful clouds.
Zhu Long — Dragon of Time and Season
According to The Classic of Mountains and Seas, Mount Zhong is located in an extremely frigid place in the north.
On top of this mountain, a mighty dragon named Zhu Long, or the Dragon of Zhu, is living there.
Zhu Long has an over 500 kilometers long snake-shaped red body with a human’s head.
He is in charge of transforming time and weather and never eats or sleeps.
He brings the daytime by opening his eyes and takes darkness to the earth when his eyes are closed. His exhalation means the winter is coming, while inhalation brings summer to the world.
Chi Long — Dragon of Protection and Auspiciousness
Chi Long was originally an animal from the sea; after years of magical cultivation, it became a type of dragon that looks like a gecko with no horns.
The marine origin made Chi Long a good fighter against fire.
Unlike other strong dragons, Chi Long is closer to people’s daily lives, which makes it the symbol of luck, happiness, romantic relationships, and a promising career.
Therefore, its image was widely used in people’s clothes, accessories, and decorations.
Jiao Long — Dragon of Transformation and Challenge
In mythical Chinese culture, animals like fish and snakes can transform into dragons if they have dragon blood or do remarkably good things like having saved people's lives or running into some special opportunities.
However, this transition takes a long time (hundreds or thousands of years), and they must face the risk of being interrupted or destroyed by other species or humans.
At the end of the transition, there will be a final thunder test: if they survive after being hit by the thunderstruck, they fly to the sky and become powerful immortal dragons.
Otherwise, they would be burnt to ashes immediately.
Jiao Long is the animal's name in the transition before the final thunder test, so they have scales and look half snake and half dragon. They cannot fly but swim incredibly fast and cause massive floods.
Qiu Long — Dragon before Adolescence
There are many different versions concerning Qiu Long’s looks, but the consensus is that Qiu Long is the baby or the teenage dragon.
Qiu Long, Drawn by Shanze Li Yifan.
Pan Long — Dragon Coils on Earth
Pan Long has black skin and is over 13 meters long, and it usually coils on the ground or swims in the rivers or seas.
Pan Long is venomous but could bring rain to drought places.
Pan Long has been widely coiled in pillars and beams in ancient Chinese buildings, meaning to protect people living inside from any injury.
Chinese Phoenix or Fenghuang
Phoenix is a big, colorful bird with miraculous power whose feathers constitute five Chinese Characters: virtue, righteousness, courtesy, benevolence, and faith.
Phoenix lives in Phoenix Trees, eats fresh bamboo, and drinks from fresh springs. It never lives in a group nor goes to dirty, chaotic places.
During Yellow Emperor and King Shun’s reigns, it had been noted that a Phoenix had appeared in the secular world to show the excellent reign that these kings brought people.
Fenghuang, in some legends, predicted the rise of the Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC — 256 BC).
Qilin
Qilin appeared in Chinese history relatively late. Around 2500 years ago, Qilin was documented together with Confucius.
When Confucius was born, a mysterious animal showed up and left a book made of jade, writing that this baby was the reincarnation of the son of the God of Water, who is morally qualified as a king but won’t be one.
This animal has the elk’s body, lion’s head, deer’s horn, tiger’s eyes, and ox’s tail.
When Confucius was old and ran into a Qilin during hunting, he said his time was up; he stopped writing and departed soon.
Qilin, Qi refers to male ones, and Lin refers to female ones, is always considered one of the luckiest, happiest, and most legendary creatures in Chinese culture.
Turtle in Chinese Culture
When Yellow Emperor (Huang Di) was in a big war against another powerful clan, a turtle carrying a board with Xi Wang Mu’s magical spells came out of a river.
The magical info on this board then helped the king win the war in the end.
Turtles can live for a very long time. Therefore, they have been considered representatives of longevity, firmness, gratitude, and loyalty.
On the other hand, the various formats on turtle shells had been widely used in divination activities in ancient China, when people could read and decode the cracks after burning their shells.
List of Other Ancient Mythical Creatures and Animals
Teng She and Bai Xi
A long time ago, Goddess Nu Wa created tens of thousands of human beings and made the world alive.
Soon, however, she felt lonely and then made two mythological creatures based on her appearance:
Teng She was a male snake who could fly, while Bai Xi was a female snake with a human top.
These two were very brave and loyal and assisted Nu Wa in defeating many other evil monsters to protect human beings.
In one version of Nu Wa's legend, she sacrificed herself to fill up the broken sky; Teng She and Bai Xi followed her and sacrificed as well.
Together, they protected human beings and brought world peace again.
In another version, Nu Wa successfully fixed the broken sky and vanished from the secular world, and Teng She and Bai Xi went with her, as always.
Later, Teng She became an essential mythical creature in the Taoism Religion's divination.