Chinese Mythology

Huli Jing

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Tradition: Chinese Mythology
Alternative Names: Fox Spirit, Huxian, Hushen, Husheng, Huwang, Huyao, Huzu, Jiuweihu, Nine-Tailed Fox
Category: Fox

The Myth

Huli Jing are supernatural fox spirits capable of transforming themselves into different shapes, most famously beautiful young women, but also men and other human forms. Their powers grow with age, and ancient fox spirits can become extraordinarily powerful beings. Some are benevolent and bring good fortune, while others are malicious, using sorcery, deception, possession, and enchantment to mislead people. The most powerful fox spirits may develop nine tails, golden fur, and celestial abilities, eventually ascending to heaven as immortal foxes. Nine-tailed foxes can appear as auspicious signs of peace, prosperity, and abundant descendants, but other tales portray them as dangerous man-eaters.

Fox spirits are said to gain the ability to assume human form as they grow older. A fifty-year-old fox can transform into a woman, while one a hundred years old may become a beautiful woman, a spirit medium, or an adult man. Such beings can perceive events taking place far away, bewilder people through supernatural powers, poison them with sorcery, or possess their bodies. After reaching a thousand years of age, a fox may ascend to heaven and become a celestial fox. One tale describes foxes attempting to transform by placing skulls upon their heads and worshipping the Big Dipper, trying different skulls until they find one that remains in place. Celestial foxes are described as golden and nine-tailed, serving in the Palace of the Sun and Moon and possessing powers that allow them to transcend the forces of yin and yang.

One of the most infamous Huli Jing was a nine-tailed fox spirit who possessed Daji, the wife of the tyrant king Di Xin. The spirit served the goddess Nüwa, who sought vengeance after the king offended her. Entering Daji’s body and driving out her soul, the fox spirit assumed her identity and became the king’s wife. Under the guise of the beautiful Daji, she encouraged the ruler’s cruelty and devised horrific tortures, including forcing righteous officials to embrace red-hot metal pillars. Her wickedness helped provoke rebellion against the Shang dynasty. Eventually, Jiang Ziya drove the fox spirit out of Daji’s body, and Nüwa condemned the spirit for her excessive cruelty.

Sources

“正木狐 (Masaki Kitsune).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1072119352.html

Yù

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Tradition: Chinese Mythology
Alternative Names: 蜮, Duǎnhú (短狐)
Category: Turtle

The Myth

The Yù is a dangerous supernatural creature from Chinese mythology, also known as the Duǎnhú, or Short Fox. It resembles a turtle or soft-shelled turtle, with a strange and threatening nature that makes it feared by those who encounter it. Despite its turtle-like appearance, the Yù possesses a deadly supernatural ability that allows it to attack people from a distance.

The Yù attacks by taking sand into its mouth and shooting it at its victims. Anyone struck by this supernatural sand may suffer violent muscle spasms, severe headaches, and fever. The creature’s attack can cause increasingly serious illness, and those afflicted may die if the effects are severe enough. The Yù is therefore feared as a hidden menace capable of inflicting deadly harm without directly biting or clawing its prey.

Sources

“蜮 (Yù).” Chinese Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%9C%AE

Jushou

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Tradition: Chinese Mythology
Alternative Names: 巨手, Giant Hand, Giant Hand Monster
Category: Forest Dweller

The Myth

Jushou, meaning “Giant Hand,” is a terrifying supernatural creature that appears as an enormous hand covered in fur resembling that of a deer. It emerges at night, appearing in temples and other places where people gather. In one account, the giant hand appears at a temple after dark and begs for food, presenting its strange, hairy form to those who encounter it. Its enormous size and unnatural appearance make it a frightening presence in the darkness.

Another tale tells of a giant hand that rose from the ground at night and seized soldiers, carrying them away. The creature was eventually confronted by Zheng Chenggong, also known as Koxinga, during his travels in Taiwan. He used a powerful cannon called Longgong against the monster, blasting away every finger except its thumb. After this encounter, the giant hand was transformed into a mountain known as Thumb Mountain, its remaining thumb giving the landmark its name.

The Jushou is remembered as a mysterious being whose enormous hand could appear unexpectedly, beg for food, or reach out of the earth to seize its victims. Its transformation into Thumb Mountain connects the creature to the landscape, leaving behind a lasting reminder of the terrifying encounter between humans and the supernatural.

Sources

“巨手 (Jùshǒu).” Chinese Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%B7%A8%E6%89%8B

Snail Maiden

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Tradition: Chinese mythology
Alternative Names: Conch Girl, Field Snail Girl, White Water Maiden, White Maiden of the Milky Way
Category: Fairy

The Myth

The Snail Maiden appears as a beautiful young woman who emerges from the shell of a large snail or seven-colored conch. Her true form is hidden within the shell, which can be kept in a water jar. In the legend of Xie Duan, a young orphan from Houguan in Fujian, the shell is unusually large, about the size of a bushel. Xie Duan is a hardworking and respectable man who lives alone and has never managed to find a wife. After bringing the strange shell home and placing it in a water vat, he begins returning from the fields to find his house filled with cooked food and a fire burning in the stove.

At first Xie Duan assumes that his neighbors have been helping him, but they deny preparing the meals and tell him that he must already have a wife secretly living in his house. Suspicious, he pretends to leave and then secretly returns to watch. He sees a beautiful young woman emerge from the jar, light the fire, prepare food, and clean the house. When he confronts her, she explains that she is the White Maiden of the Heavenly Realm, sent by the Heavenly Emperor because of Xie Duan’s orphanhood, diligence, and good conduct. She had been commanded to care for his household until he became prosperous and married, after which she would return to the heavenly realm. Since Xie Duan has discovered her true nature by spying on her, however, she must leave immediately. She tells him to continue working the fields and making his living through farming, fishing, and gathering, and leaves behind the shell as a vessel in which he can store his grain.

Xie Duan begs her to remain, but she refuses. A sudden storm rises, with wind and rain carrying the maiden away from him. Xie Duan then establishes a shrine to her and makes seasonal offerings in gratitude. His fortunes improve, he eventually marries, and he later becomes a county magistrate. The Snail Maiden’s legend became especially important among coastal communities of Fujian, where she came to be regarded as a protective deity for people who went to sea and was worshipped among the Fuzhou Tanka. Related versions spread along the coasts of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai, and Guangdong, as well as to other places where similar snail-maiden legends were told.

Sources

“螺女 (Luó Nǚ; Snail Woman).” Chinese Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 4, 2026.
https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%9E%BA%E5%A5%B3

Li Long

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Tradition: Chinese mythology
Alternative Names: Lilyu, Liryo, Black Dragon
Category: Dragon

The Myth

Li Long is a black dragon said to dwell in a nine-layered abyss. It guards precious treasures hidden deep beneath the water, making the dragon’s domain a place of immense danger for anyone seeking its riches.

One famous tale tells of a poor family who made their living weaving grass and catching fish along a river. One day, the family’s son dived into a deep pool and discovered a jewel worth a thousand pieces of gold. When he returned with the treasure, his father was horrified rather than pleased. He told his son to smash the jewel with a stone, explaining that such a priceless jewel must have been lying beneath the jaws of a Li Long in the nine-fold abyss.

The young man had survived only because the dragon happened to be asleep. Had it awakened, the dragon would have devoured him completely. The father used the story as a warning: treasures of extraordinary value can demand extraordinary risks.

The image of the jewel beneath the dragon’s jaw became a famous symbol of something precious that can only be obtained by risking one’s life. To seek such a treasure was compared to taking the pearl from the dragon’s jaws. The dragon’s pearl could therefore represent an almost impossible prize, hidden behind terrible danger.

The dragon was also associated with another dangerous treasure: the precious jewel believed to be contained within the brain of a dragon king. Buddhist traditions likewise spoke of dragon pearls as treasures of extraordinary rarity. Stories and religious performances developed around the image of dragons guarding such jewels, including a medieval Japanese temple performance in which male and female dragons were said to protect the sacred jewel while songs, dances, and music were performed to summon the dragon god and bring prosperity and happiness.

Li Long thus became more than a terrifying guardian of an abyss. Its jaws came to represent the boundary between enormous danger and extraordinary treasure: the greater the prize, the closer one must come to the dragon.

Sources

Takahashi, Toshihiro. “驪龍 [りりゅう] (Riryū).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). January 6, 2024. https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1082940932.html

Red Dragon

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Tradition: Chinese mythology
Alternative Names: Chìlóng, Southern Sea Dragon King, Guangli King, Zhaoming
Category: Dragon

The Myth

The Red Dragon is a powerful dragon associated with the south, fire, and the Southern Sea. In Chinese tradition, the southern direction is connected with the element of fire, and the Red Dragon embodies this fiery power. It can also appear as the Southern Sea Dragon King, one of the Four Dragon Kings who rule the seas.

The Southern Sea Dragon King is a mighty supernatural ruler associated with the waters of the southern sea. He is known as Zhaoming and Guangli King, while in the classic novel Fengshen Bang he is called Ao Qin. His connection with the south brings together two seemingly opposite powers: the blazing force of fire and the vast waters of the sea.

The Red Dragon is also linked with the ancient southern deity Zhurong, the god of fire. Zhurong was associated with the south and was even described as the deity of the Southern Sea. In later tradition, this southern divine power became increasingly represented through the figure of the Dragon King, bringing the ancient southern god together with the powerful dragon rulers of the waters.

The Southern Sea Dragon King was greatly revered, and people called upon him during dangers at sea. Along the southeastern coast, sailors developed customs of calling upon the Southern Sea deity for protection when crossing dangerous waters. One tradition tells of sailors who saw the sea god himself standing upon the water, towering above them with red hair and a long beard, wearing magnificent robes, a crown, and a sword. Terrified and amazed, they fell down and worshipped him as he passed slowly across the surface of the sea, leaving a brilliant light behind him.

The Red Dragon therefore embodies the mysterious power of the southern waters: a dragon ruler connected with fire, storms, the sea, and divine protection.

Sources

“赤龍 (Chìlóng; Red Dragon).” Chinese Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 3, 2026. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%B5%A4%E9%BE%8D

Hong

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Tradition: Chinese mythology
Alternative Names: Jiang, Rainbow Dragon
Category: Dragon

The Myth

Hong is a strange Chinese dragon associated with the rainbow. It is depicted as a great serpentine or dragon-like creature with a head at each end of its body, forming the arched shape of a rainbow across the sky.

The oldest known representations of the Chinese word for “rainbow” depict an arched serpent or dragon with open-mouthed heads at both ends. Early Chinese tradition therefore connected the rainbow itself with a supernatural dragon. In some early representations, the creature was specifically shown with two dragon heads, one at either end of the arc.

Hong was associated with the changing of the weather. The appearance of a rainbow marked the end of rain and the return of clear skies. The dragon was therefore understood as a being capable of moving between the heavens and the earth: when ascending, the dragon could bring thunder and heavy rain, while its descent was associated with the ending of the storm and the clearing of the sky.

The rainbow thus became a manifestation of the dragon itself. What appeared in the heavens as a brilliant arc was imagined as the body of a supernatural dragon, with its two heads extending beyond the visible ends of the rainbow.

Sources

“Hong (rainbow dragon).” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 3, 2026.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_(rainbow-dragon)

Zhulong

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Tradition: Chinese mythology
Alternative Names: Zhuyin, Torch Dragon, Torch Shade, Chuolong, Zhuolong
Category: Dragon

The Myth

Zhulong, the Torch Dragon, is a gigantic scarlet dragon deity with a human face and a serpent-like body. His enormous body was said to stretch for a thousand leagues, and some traditions describe him with strange vertical eyes that appear as a straight seam when closed. He dwells in the far north, in remote mountains where the sun itself does not reach, and possesses a supernatural torch-like radiance capable of illuminating the darkness.

Zhulong’s most extraordinary power is his control over light and darkness. When he opens his eyes, daylight appears across the world; when he closes them, night falls. His very presence therefore becomes part of the rhythm of day and night. His breath has a similarly cosmic effect. When he blows, winter arrives, while his call brings summer. If he truly breathes, tremendous gales arise, and the wind and rain themselves are said to answer his command.

The ancient traditions place Zhulong in different remote mountains. At Mount Bell, the deity called Torch Shade lives upon the lower slopes, illuminating the surrounding darkness with his supernatural power. He neither eats nor drinks, and in the account he does not normally breathe or sleep. His immense body lies beyond the ordinary human world, associated with the distant regions where darkness dominates.

At Mount Brillianttail, Zhulong appears as a scarlet god-human with a human face and serpent’s body. His strange eyes stand vertically upon his face. When they close, darkness covers the world; when they open, light returns. He is described as shining his torch across the “ninefold darkness,” illuminating the regions untouched by ordinary sunlight. The wind and rain are also under his command, making the dragon not merely a source of light but a cosmic power governing the elements.

An old tradition preserved by Guo Pu explains why the Torch Dragon is necessary. The sky was believed to be incomplete in the northwest, leaving that region without the normal balance of yin and yang. A dragon therefore carried a torch in its mouth to illuminate the heavens. Zhulong’s light becomes a supernatural answer to the places where the sun cannot reach.

The Songs of Chu preserves the same mystery surrounding the Torch Dragon. Its Heavenly Questions asks where the sun does not shine and how the Torch Dragon illuminates that hidden region. Elsewhere, the Torch Dragon is associated with the frozen northern mountains, appearing as a blazing red presence in the darkness.

The Huainanzi places the Torch Dragon even farther beyond the reach of sunlight. He dwells north of Wild Goose Gate and hides within Abandoned Wings Mountain, a place where he never sees the sun. Here his body is described differently: he has a human face and a dragon’s body but no feet. Despite the variations in his physical form, his association with the remote northern darkness and supernatural illumination remains constant.

A later tradition preserves a related image of a gigantic dragon carrying a torch through the darkness of the far north. In this account, the dragon travels to a mountain that neither the sun nor moon illuminates and holds a torch in its jaws, lighting the mountain completely. Strange luminous plants grow there, their glowing stalks serving as torches in the darkness.

Zhulong is therefore far more than a conventional dragon. He is a cosmic being whose body and actions are woven into the structure of the world itself. His opening eyes bring daylight, his closing eyes bring night, his breath summons the seasons and winds, and his torch penetrates the darkness where the sun cannot reach.

Sources

“Zhulong (mythology).” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 3, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhulong_(mythology)

Yinglong

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Tradition: Japanese mythology, Chinese mythology
Alternative Names: Yinglong, Winged Dragon, Flying Dragon
Category: Dragon

The Myth

Yinglong is a winged dragon, distinguished from other dragons by its great wings. It is generally depicted with a dragon’s body and wings, although some representations give it the head of a dragon and the body of a bird. Its wings and tail feathers may even resemble the fins of a fish, giving the creature an unusual combination of dragon, bird, and aquatic features.

According to the Sancai Tuhui, Yinglong dwells on Gongqiu Mountain. The winged dragon also appears in several great stories of ancient Chinese mythology, where it becomes involved with the Yellow Emperor, Chiyou, Nuwa, and Yu.

During the great war between the Yellow Emperor and Chiyou, the Yellow Emperor commanded Yinglong to attack the fields of Ganyi. The dragon’s powers were therefore brought directly into the struggles of the ancient divine rulers.

Yinglong was later subdued by Nuwa, who made the powerful dragon serve as the beast that pulled her vehicle. Yu, meanwhile, encountered Yinglong during his legendary efforts to control the great floods. As Yu worked to bring the waters under control, Yinglong used its tail to draw characters upon the ground, marking out the paths by which the waters could be guided. In this role the dragon became a guardian of the waters and an aid in one of the greatest acts of flood control in Chinese mythology. This account was later transmitted directly into Japan through the Wakan Sansai Zue.

The Shanhaijing, in its Dadong Huangjing, places Yinglong at the southern end of the world. There the dragon is said to have become unable to return to Heaven because it had killed Chiyou and Kuafu. Its presence upon the earth was consequently associated with drought, and Yinglong was said to bring drought across the land. Yet the dragon also possessed a strange connection with rain: if people imitated the form of Yinglong, heavy rain was said to follow.

The Huainanzi presents Yinglong within a different kind of cosmic lesson. It describes the soaring serpent moving through mist and Yinglong rising upon clouds, alongside other creatures whose abilities become effective when they encounter the environment suited to them. The passage emphasizes that every being has its own particular strengths and must fulfill its proper role.

The image of Yinglong continued into the artistic traditions of China and Japan. Dragons possessing the same characteristic wings are sometimes called “Flying Dragons” in paintings and decorative sculpture. At Nikkō Tōshōgū Shrine, for example, two such Flying Dragons are carved soaring above waves in the Water Pavilion.

These winged dragons are frequently shown together with waves and flowing water. Their imagery came to be associated with protection against fire, while their connection with water gave them an auspicious character. The tradition also became linked with the legend of the carp climbing the Dragon Gate waterfall and transforming into a dragon, making the dragon and the Dragon Gate motif symbols of transformation and good fortune.

Sources

Takahashi, Toshihiro. “応竜 [おうりゅう] (Yìnglóng).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). October 21, 2024. https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1082948842.html

Enryū

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Tradition: Japanese mythology, Chinese mythology
Alternative Names: Yanlong, Salt Dragon, Shio Ryū
Category: Dragon

The Myth

Enryū, the Salt Dragon, was a strange little dragon believed to produce a valuable substance used in tonics. Unlike the enormous dragons of storms and rivers, the Salt Dragon was described as a creature only about one foot long. Its body was covered in scales from which salt could mysteriously emerge.

According to the Compendium of Materia Medica, quoting the Records of Spring Shore, the creature was obtained during the Northern Song dynasty in the reign of Emperor Huizong. Xiao Zhu encountered a Salt Dragon while defeating the Nanman and brought the strange creature into his possession.

The dragon was kept in a silver tub with a jade bowl inside. It was fed salt taken from seawater, and after consuming the salt, more salt would seep from between its scales. The substance produced by the living dragon was regarded as medicinal. Taken together with warm wine, it was believed to increase yang energy and strengthen vitality.

Cai Jing, also called Cai Yuandu in the Records of Spring Shore, was said to have possessed one of these dragons. His Salt Dragon eventually died, however, in a rather peculiar manner. Cai attempted to obtain salt directly by licking the creature’s body. The dragon’s carcass was subsequently preserved by salting it. Even in death it retained value, since a tonic could still be extracted from the preserved body, although its effectiveness was believed to gradually diminish.

The Japanese commentary Bencao Gangmu Keimō repeated the account of the Salt Dragon but admitted that its nature was “not detailed,” offering little additional information about the creature.

The Salt Dragon later appeared in Japanese writings as well. Yanagi Rikyo’s Hitori Ne retold the story of Cai Yuanqing and his Salt Dragon from the Harunogi Kibun. The author remarked that such creatures were rarely discussed because the country in which they were supposedly found was no longer frequently visited, and therefore recorded the strange story for posterity. The same account was subsequently quoted in Keisai Eisen’s Makura Bunko.

The creature also became a subject for Japanese artists. The Illustrated Compendium of Chinese Characters depicts a Salt Dragon peering from a silver jar while reaching toward salt offered to it on a spoon by a boy. Uoya Hokkei created another well-known image of the creature, showing a Salt Dragon receiving salt from a woman. The accompanying humorous poem compares the salt caught between the dragon’s scales to light snow resting upon the swaying branches of a willow.

Thus the Salt Dragon was imagined as a peculiar living source of salt: a tiny dragon that consumed seawater salt, produced more through its scales, and could itself become an ingredient in mysterious medicines even after death.

Sources

Takahashi, Toshihiro. “延竜 [えんりゅう] (Enryū).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). October 21, 2024. https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1083002104.html