Chinese Mythical Creatures

Explore Chinese mythical creatures, dragons, beasts, spirits and monsters, from Qilin and Bai Ze to the Nine-Tailed Fox and Shan Hai Jing legends.

Jade Rabbit: The Moon Rabbit of Chinese Mythology

Look carefully at the full moon. Across its pale surface, dark shapes stretch between the light. Some cultures saw a […]

A dragon rises from black water. There are no enormous leather wings. No knight waits with a sword. No treasure

At first, the body looks human. Then you reach the head. Something is wrong. The face belongs to a beast.

Imagine pulling a fish from an ancient river. At first, its head looks almost ordinary. Then the water moves. Behind

Some mythical creatures survive because they were powerful. Others because they were terrifying. The Biyiniao survived because two birds could

A wolf waits beside the northern sea. But its head is red. Its eyes resemble those of a mouse. And

Some beings in the Shan Hai Jing are given names. Others are remembered only by what they looked like. Across

At first, Zhujian almost sounds like a leopard. Then the description keeps going. Its tail is unusually long. Its ears

Imagine hearing a baby crying somewhere in the mountains. You follow the sound. There are no houses nearby. No travelers.