List of legendary creatures from China

Legendary Chinese creatures

The following is a list of legendary creatures recorded from Chinese mythology (中國神話动物清单).

A

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

B

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.

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.

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

D

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

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.

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.
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.

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

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]

References

^ 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
^ 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
^ ^a ^b ^c Classsics of Mountain and Sea, Vol. 2. Xishanjing
^ ^a ^b Classsics of Mountain and Sea, Vol. 1. Nanshanjing
^ 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
^ Classsics of Mountain and Sea, Vol. 3. Beishanjing
^ 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
^ 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