Qingqiu: The Enchanted Land of the Nine-Tailed Fox
- ChinaFetching
- 7 hours ago
- 2 min read
Hidden beyond the mortal world lies Qingqiu (青丘) — a sacred and enchanted land, fertile and luminous, alive with ancient spirit.
In Chinese Mythology, Qingqiu is said to be the homeland of the Nine-Tailed Fox, a divine being of immense power, wisdom, and mystery.
For thousands of years, this realm has captured the imagination of poets, mystics, and storytellers, appearing in countless legends and folklore.

A Magical Realm of Radiant Color
Qingqiu's landscape is as extraordinary as its mythical inhabitants.
To the south, mountains cradle veins of pure jade, gleaming with celestial radiance.
To the north, the earth yields azurite, a brilliant blue-green mineral once used in sacred rituals and to paint divine imagery.
These wonders of the land unveil the mesmerizing beauty of Qingqiu, where mountains gleam with jade, minerals sparkle like gems, and forests hum with ancient magic.

The Mythical Creatures of Qingqiu
Qingqiu is not only a land of beauty, but also a haven for extraordinary creatures.
In its forests sings a type of bird named Guanguan (灌灌), shaped like a collared dove, whose cry echoes the quarrels of humankind.
Legend says that wearing its feathers grants clarity of mind, allowing one to perceive the world with unclouded vision, free from illusion and deception.

Beneath the mountain streams swim the mystical fish Chiru (赤鱬) — beings with the body of a fish and the face of a human.
Their voices echo like the soft calls of mandarin ducks, and those who taste their flesh are said to be forever protected from skin diseases, a testament to Qingqiu’s magical vitality.

The Harmonious Qingqiu Kingdom
Amid this sacred landscape dwell the people of Qingqiu Kingdom, who cultivate grains and weave silks finer than mist.
Their garments shimmer like flowing clouds, embodying the harmony between heaven and earth.
Life in Qingqiu flows in balance — prosperous, peaceful, and serene, untouched by the chaos of the mortal world.
Every aspect of this kingdom radiates order, beauty, and the quiet grace of a society aligned with nature and the divine.

The Divine Nine-Tailed Fox
Yet above all, Qingqiu is renowned as the dwelling place of the Nine-Tailed Fox, radiant and mysterious.
Its voice is said to sound like the cry of an infant — haunting yet pure.
While some later tales describe it as a being capable of preying upon humans, ancient texts recount a different truth: those who consumed its flesh were believed to gain immunity to poisons and protection from evil spirits.

In early Chinese mythology, the Nine-Tailed Fox was not a creature of seduction or illusion, but a sacred beast under the command of the Queen Mother of the West.
It symbolized peace, prosperity, and divine harmony—appearing only when the world was well-governed and the realm at peace.

Symbolism and Legacy of the Legendary Qingqiu
To the ancients, Qingqiu was more than a distant myth—it represented the ideal world where beauty, wisdom, and immortality coexisted.
It expressed humanity’s eternal longing for a realm beyond sorrow, beyond time, and beyond mortality itself.
In the vast ocean of Chinese mythology, Qingqiu stands as a timeless symbol of enlightenment and transformation—a place where mortals and immortals once walked the same earth, and where the sacred Nine-Tailed Fox still dances in the mist of eternity.

