Tradition: Chinese mythology
Alternative Names: Daolao demons
Category: Demon
The Myth
Daolao are malicious creatures that inhabit the mountains of Linchuan County in Jiangxi Province. They appear most often during storms and heavy rain, when they produce whistling sounds and can fire arrows at people. Anyone struck by one of these arrows is immediately covered in sores caused by a powerful poison.
Daolao are divided into males and females. The males are active, but their activity lasts for no more than half a day. The females are comparatively sluggish, and their sluggishness lasts much longer.
People who come into contact with Daolao are usually saved, but those who are rescued only slightly and not completely may die.
Daolao are described as demons whose supernatural nature can bring both trouble and happiness to the world. In the account of Gan Bao, they are presented as examples of the mysterious creatures that exist through the forces of Yin and Yang.
Gan Bao further explains that Heaven and Earth, demons and spirits, were originally born identical to humans. When the elements separated, their essences became different, and differences in the lands produced differences in their forms and natures. The existence of strange creatures such as the Daolao is therefore connected to the primordial forces of Yin and Yang.
Sources
“Даолао (Daolao).” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). Accessed September 9, 2026. https://www.bestiary.us/Daolao