Tradition: Chinese Mythology
Alternative Names: Black Bee; Dark Bee
Category: Insect
The Myth
The Xuánfēng is a gigantic bee-like creature recorded in ancient Chinese literature. It resembles a large grasshopper, with an enormous abdomen as big as a pot. Despite its unusual appearance, it is a dangerous insect that attacks people with its sting.
The Xuánfēng’s sting is poisonous and can kill a person, making the creature a deadly monster rather than an ordinary bee. It appears in two classical Chinese works: the Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shanhaijing), in the section known as Hainei Beijing, and the Songs of Chu (Chuci), in the poem Zhaohun.
Sources
“玄蜂.” 维基百科，自由的百科全书. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 18, 2026. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%8E%84%E8%9C%82