Chinese Mythology

Fei

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Tradition / Region: Chinese Mythology
Alternative names: –
Category: Cow

The Myth

The Fei is a strange beast that resembles an ox with a white head, a single eye, and the tail of a snake. It lives on Mount Tai, a mountain rich in gold, jade, and precious trees.

According to the Classic of Mountains and Seas, the appearance of the Fei brings drought and destruction to the surrounding land. Water sources dry up and vegetation withers wherever the creature is found.

Sources

“蜚 (Fěi).” Chinese Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%9C%9A

King Jinjiao and King Yinjiao

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Tradition / Region: Chinese Mythology
Alternative names: Golden-Horned King, Silver-Horned King
Category: Cave dweller, Demon

The Myth

King Jinjiao and King Yinjiao are two powerful demon brothers who rule the Lotus Cave on Pingdingshan. They appear as formidable demon kings and possess a collection of magical weapons and treasures, including the Seven Star Sword, a gourd capable of absorbing and dissolving people, a jade bottle, a golden rope, and a banana-leaf fan that can produce the Samadhi Fire.

The two brothers were originally servants of Laozi and were responsible for guarding his alchemy furnace. They eventually stole several of his magical treasures and fled to the mortal world, where they established themselves as demon kings in the Lotus Cave.

When Tang Sanzang and his companions passed through the region, the two demon kings attacked them. They first defeated Sun Wukong and trapped him beneath three mountains before capturing Tang Sanzang.

The brothers later attempted to destroy Sun Wukong by using their magical gourd. They managed to suck him inside, intending for its supernatural power to dissolve him. Sun Wukong, however, escaped from the gourd before it could destroy him.

After escaping, Sun Wukong turned the magical weapon against its owners. He used the gourd to absorb both King Jinjiao and King Yinjiao, defeating the two demon kings with the very treasure they had used against him.

Sources

“金角大王和银角大王 (King Golden Horn and King Silver Horn).” Chinese Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/金角大王和银角大王

Xian Li

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Tradition / Region: Chinese mythology
Alternative names: Fairy Wildcat, Fairy Civet
Category: Cat

The Myth

The Xian Li is a wildcat spirit that, after cultivating its powers for a long time, gains supernatural abilities and transforms into a beautiful man or woman. Rather than referring to domestic cats, the ancient Chinese term li described small wild feline-like animals such as leopard cats, lynxes, or certain civets.

According to Chinese tradition, these wildcats could attain spiritual power through long cultivation. Once transformed into human form, they would seduce people in order to absorb their life essence. Like other shape-shifting spirits, they were believed to be eloquent, persuasive, and capable of both charming and harming humans.

The Xian Li belongs to a broader tradition of Chinese animal spirits that achieve supernatural powers through age and cultivation. Like the fox spirit, it could assume human form and interact freely with people, using its beauty and deception to accomplish its goals.

Sources

“仙狸 (Xiānlí).” Chinese Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed July 28, 2026. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/仙狸

Zheng

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Tradition / Region: Chinese mythology
Alternative names: None known
Category: Cat

The Myth

The Zheng is a strange beast described as resembling a red leopard with five tails and a single horn. Its cry sounds like the striking of stone. It is said to inhabit Mount Zhang’e, a barren mountain devoid of vegetation but rich in jade and precious stones.

According to the Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shan Hai Jing), the Zheng lives on Mount Zhang’e, located two hundred and eighty li to the west. The mountain is described as barren of plant life but abundant in jade and valuable stones. There dwells the Zheng, an extraordinary creature whose appearance and voice distinguish it from all other beasts. Its body resembles a red leopard, yet it possesses five tails, a single horn, and emits a sound like stone being struck. No further actions, powers, or legends are recorded in the source.

Sources

“狰 (Zhēng).” Chinese Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed July 28, 2026. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/狰

Zhujian

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Tradition / Region: Chinese mythology
Alternative names: None known
Category: Cat

The Myth

The Zhujian is a bizarre creature with the body of a leopard, a long tail, a human head, the ears of an ox, and a single eye.

According to the Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shan Hai Jing), specifically the Northern Mountains Classic, the Zhujian is simply described as a strange beast with these unusual features. It has the body of a leopard, an elongated tail, a human-like head with ox ears, and only one eye. No further legends, abilities, or deeds are recorded in the source.

Sources

“諸犍 (Zhūjiàn).” Chinese Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed July 28, 2026. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/諸犍

Jinhua Cat

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Tradition / Region: Chinese Mythology
Alternative names: Jinhua Cat Demon, Cat Demon
Category: Cat

The Myth

The Jinhua Cat is a cat spirit said to arise when a cat has been kept for more than three years. According to tradition, it climbs onto rooftops at midnight and absorbs the essence of the moon. After repeatedly feeding on moonlight, it transforms into a powerful cat demon.

Once transformed, the Jinhua Cat preys upon humans by taking on human form. It appears as a handsome young man to women and as a beautiful woman to men, seducing its victims. Before entering a household, it urinates in the family’s drinking water. Anyone who drinks the contaminated water becomes bewitched, unable to perceive the demon’s true feline form, and gradually falls ill.

One famous tale tells of a young woman in Lin’an who was secretly visited by an extraordinarily handsome youth. He provided food and drink instantly and behaved like an ordinary person, yet no one else could see him. Sorcerers failed to drive him away until an old noodle seller recognized the visitor as a Jinhua Cat Demon and successfully exorcised it.

Chinese tradition also warned against keeping pure white cats in the Jinhua region, believing they could absorb moonlight, become spirits, and bring misfortune to their owners.

Sources

“金華貓 (Jinhua Cat).” Chinese Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed July 28, 2026. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/金華貓

Suzaku

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Tradition / Region: Chinese Mythology, Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: Vermilion Bird, Shujaku
Category: Bird

The Myth

Suzaku is the sacred red bird that rules the southern quarter of the heavens. As one of the Four Divine Beasts, it governs the direction of the south and is associated with the element of fire. It is regarded as a divine bird that flies before the heavenly powers, leading the way.

Ancient traditions describe the Vermilion Bird as the guardian of the southern regions. During military campaigns, banners bearing its image were raised at the front of encampments as a sign of its protection. It was also believed to represent the southern heavens, where it watched over the world alongside the other three Divine Beasts.

Some traditions identify Suzaku with the sacred phoenix, describing it as a heavenly bird of mysterious nature whose true form is unknown.

The worship of Suzaku spread from China to Japan, where it became one of the country’s most revered guardian spirits. The great southern gate of the Imperial Palace was named the Suzaku Gate, and the broad avenue leading to it was called Suzaku Avenue, honoring the divine bird that protected the southern direction.

Sources

Takahashi, Toshihiro. “朱雀 (Suzaku).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). August 20, 2025. Accessed July 27, 2026. https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1085334027.html

Dàfēng

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Tradition / Region: Chinese Mythology
Alternative names: Great Wind, Wind Earl (Fēngbó)
Category: Bird

The Myth

Dàfēng is a monstrous bird and ancient wind deity capable of unleashing devastating gales. Whenever it spread its enormous wings, violent winds arose, destroying houses and bringing disaster upon the land. Some traditions identify it as a gigantic bird, while others describe it as the Wind Earl (Fēngbó), the spirit who governs the winds.

During the reign of the legendary Emperor Yao, Dàfēng was one of several monsters that plagued humanity. To end these calamities, Yao sent the divine archer Hou Yi to destroy them. Hou Yi tracked Dàfēng to the marshes of Qingqiu, where he shot down the monstrous wind-bringer, freeing the people from its destructive storms.

Sources

“大風 (神).” Chinese Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed July 27, 2026. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/大風_(神)

Kekko

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Tradition / Region: Chinese Mythology
Alternative names: Jiegou; Keikin (Japanese variant)
Category: Bird, Rat

The Myth

The Kekko is a legendary bird described in the ancient Chinese Classic of Mountains and Seas. It is said to dwell upon Mount Kō, where it resembles a duck but possesses the tail of a mouse and is unusually adept at climbing trees.

The bird is feared as a harbinger of disease. Whenever a Kekko appears in a region, sickness is believed to spread among the people, making its arrival a dreadful omen. Rather than attacking directly, its mere presence foretells widespread illness.

In later centuries, stories of the Kekko spread from China to Japan through encyclopedias and illustrated collections of strange creatures. During the Edo period it was occasionally depicted alongside other exotic birds and beasts from the Classic of Mountains and Seas, preserving its reputation as one of the ominous creatures of ancient Chinese legend.

Sources

TYZ. (2020, March 15). ケッコ (Kekko). In 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1077285093.html

Rakshasa Bird

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Tradition / Region: Chinese mythology
Alternative names: Rakshasa Bird
Category: Bird

The Myth

The Rakshasa Bird is a monstrous bird said to have been born from the accumulated evil essence of an abandoned graveyard. Slightly larger than a gray crane, it has a hooked beak, enormous snow-white claws, and glowing blue eyes. One of its most terrifying powers is the ability to transform into human form in order to deceive its victims.

According to a tale from the Zi Bu Yu, a bride was traveling to her wedding when a violent whirlwind rose from an ancient cemetery and surrounded her sedan chair. When she arrived at the groom’s home, a second bride—identical in appearance, clothing, and manner—stepped from the same sedan chair. Unable to distinguish the real bride from the impostor, the wedding proceeded with both women present.

That night, the false bride revealed her true nature. She tore out the groom’s eyes and attacked the real bride before transforming into a huge gray-black bird. As frightened servants rushed into the room, they saw the creature perched upon a beam with its hooked beak, white claws, and eerie blue eyes before it escaped into the darkness. Although the couple survived after months of recovery, both remained blind. Ever afterward, the Rakshasa Bird was feared as a shape-shifting demon that delights in devouring human eyes.

Sources

維基百科貢獻者. (n.d.). 羅剎鳥. In 維基百科，自由的百科全書. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%BD%97%E5%88%B9%E9%B8%9F