Chinese Mythology

Heluo Zhi Yu

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Tradition / Region: Chinese mythology
Alternate Names: Heluo-fish
Category: Fish

The Myth

The Heluo Zhi Yu, or Heluo Fish, is said to live in the waters of the Tower River. It is a strange and unsettling creature, described as having one head and ten bodies, all moving together as a single being. When it cries out, its voice does not sound like a fish at all, but like the barking of a dog.

The flesh of the Heluo Fish is believed to possess powerful healing qualities. Those who eat it are said to be cured of tumors and severe internal illnesses, making it a creature both feared and sought after.

According to legend, the Heluo Fish is not bound to a single form. At times, it is said to transform into a Never-Old Bird, a mysterious creature that steals grains of rice from threshing tools. The bird flutters down into a mortar while stealing grain and dies there, completing its strange cycle of transformation.

Thus, the Heluo Fish is remembered as a being of many bodies and shifting shapes, whose presence links water, land, and air, and whose flesh holds both strangeness and healing power.

Sources

A Book of Creatures contributors. (n.d.). Heluo-zhi-yu. In A Book of Creatures, from https://abookofcreatures.com/2019/08/26/heluo-zhi-yu/

Ran Yi Fish

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Tradition / Region: Chinese mythology
Alternative name: –
Category: Fish

The Myth

The Ran Yi fish lives in the Wan River, which flows from Yingdi Mountain. This mountain is unlike any other: its slopes are thick with lacquer trees, metal ores and jade lie at its base, and all the birds and beasts that dwell there are said to be entirely white. From this place the Wan River rises and runs northward into Lingyang Marsh, and within its waters the Ran Yi fish can be found.

The Ran Yi fish has a fish’s body, but its head is that of a snake, and from its sides grow six legs. Its eyes resemble the ears of a horse, giving it a strange and unsettling appearance. Though it moves through water like a fish, its form marks it as something unnatural and powerful.

People believe that eating the Ran Yi fish brings protection. Those who consume it are said to be free from nightmares, untouched by disturbing dreams, and shielded from evil influences. Because of this, the Ran Yi fish is regarded not as a threat, but as a creature of warding and spiritual defense.

It remains hidden in the waters of the Wan River, tied to the strange mountain where white creatures roam and precious substances lie buried, a guardian presence within an uncanny landscape.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). 冷遺魚. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, from https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%86%89%E9%81%97%E9%B1%BC

Wangyu Fish

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Tradition / Region: Chinese mythology
Alternate Names: Wuyu Kuai, Wu Wang Kuaiyu, Kuaican
Category: Fish

The Myth

The Wangyu fish is a strange and sorrowful creature, known for having only half a body. Legend says that long ago, during the time of the Kingdom of Wu, a king—most often named King Helü, though some say it was King Sun Li—was eating a fish and left it unfinished. Displeased or careless, he cast the remaining half into the water. From this act, the fish did not die, but instead transformed, becoming the Wangyu fish, forever incomplete.

Because of this origin, the Wangyu swims through the water as a half-bodied being, a living reminder of abandonment and loss. It is said to dwell in city ponds and enclosed waters rather than open rivers or seas.

One tale tells of a Wangyu fish living in a pond within the eastern city. When the pond burst and the water drained away, the fish was left stranded and close to death, unable to escape on its own. A person nearby held up a mirror, allowing the fish to see its own reflection in the water’s surface. Mistaking its reflection for another of its kind, the Wangyu believed it had found a companion. Encouraged by the sight of what it thought was its missing half, the fish gathered its strength and leapt away, escaping side by side with its reflected image.

Thus, the Wangyu fish survives not through strength, but through illusion—forever seeking wholeness, even if only in reflection.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). 王鬱魚. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, from https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%8E%8B%E9%A6%80%E9%B1%BC

Lingyu

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Tradition / Region: Chinese mythology
Alternate Names: –
Category: Fish

The Myth

Lingyu is a strange fish of the sea, known for its human-like face and barbels shaped like hands. Its body moves through the water like an ordinary fish, yet its features mark it as something far from natural.

Lingyu lives in the sea near Lieguye Mountain, appearing and disappearing among the waves. When it emerges, the sea does not remain calm. It is said that whenever Lingyu appears, violent winds rise and storms suddenly break out, churning the water and darkening the sky.

Because of this, Lingyu is feared as an omen of chaos and upheaval. Sailors and coastal people believe its presence signals danger, and its human face is seen as a warning rather than a comfort.

Lingyu does not attack ships or people directly. Instead, it moves the sea itself, bringing sudden storms as it travels, leaving destruction in its wake before vanishing again into the depths.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). 陸魚. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, from https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%99%B5%E9%B1%BC

Dan Fish

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Tradition / Region: Chinese mythology
Alternative name: –
Category: Fish

The Myth

The Dan fish is a legendary fish surrounded by a red, glowing aura. When it appears, its body shines as if lit by fire, and the light rises above the water. It is said to live in deep pools and only comes close to the surface at certain times.

According to belief, if a person cuts the Dan fish and smears its blood on their feet, they gain the power to walk across the surface of water. Because of this ability, the fish is regarded as extraordinary and dangerous to approach.

In some stories, people who see the glowing fish are filled with awe and fear. They believe it is not an ordinary creature, and many refuse to touch or eat it, considering it a sacred or divine being.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). 丹鱼. In Wikipedia. Retrieved March 1, 2026, from https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%B9%E9%B1%BC.

Red Carp

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Tradition / Region: Chinese mythology
Alternative name: –
Category: Fish

The Myth

The Red Carp is a strange and unusual fish described in Chinese legend. It has the body of a fish but the face of a human, making it both familiar and unsettling in appearance. The creature is said to live in the Winged Marsh, a remote and mysterious wetland.

When the Red Carp cries out, its voice is said to resemble the call of a mandarin duck. Despite its uncanny form, the fish is associated with healing rather than danger. According to tradition, eating the Red Carp can cure scabies.

The Red Carp is recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, specifically in the Southern Mountains Classic, where it appears as one of the many strange beings inhabiting distant and mythical landscapes.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). 赤鱬. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, from https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%B5%A4%E9%B1%AC

Flower Fairy

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Tradition: Chinese mythology
Alternative Names: Flower Spirits, Flower Demons
Category: Fairy

The Myth

Flower fairies are flowers that have acquired spiritual life and become supernatural beings. In Chinese tradition, flowers are believed to possess their own spirituality and, through long cultivation, can transform into spirits or even supernatural demons. It is said that after a hundred years, a flower may become a spirit and eventually continue its cultivation toward immortality. These beings retain their connection to the flowers from which they originated, but can take on their own personalities and interact with humans.

One famous story of a flower spirit is Xiangyu from Pu Songling’s Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio. Xiangyu is a peony flower spirit who becomes involved with a scholar surnamed Huang. The story presents the flower spirit as a supernatural being capable of forming a relationship with a human, while retaining her nature as a cultivated flower spirit. Flower fairies also appear throughout Chinese poetry, where flowers are imagined as beautiful supernatural beings descending among blooming gardens or appearing beneath the moon.

The idea of flower spirits became a recurring part of Chinese imagination, appearing in stories, poems, and accounts of supernatural phenomena. They could be imagined as beautiful fairies, cultivated spirits, or flower demons, reflecting the belief that nature itself could develop spiritual power over great lengths of time.

Sources

“花妖 (Huāyāo; Flower Spirit).” Chinese Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 4, 2026. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%8A%B1%E5%A6%96