The Four Holy Beasts (、、or ) are Chinese astronomical and cultural Four Benevolent Animals that are spread in the East Asian cultural sphere. They are mentioned in the Chinese classic Book of RitesLiji "Liyun (The conveyance of rite" / Ceremonial usages; their origins, development, and intention)" 23. quote: " translation based on James Legge's: "What were the four numinous creatures? They were the lin, the feng, the tortoise, and the dragon." and includes the Dragon () in the East, the Qilin () in the West, the Turtle () in the North, and the Fenghuang () in the South.
Differences
The Four Holy Beasts differs from Four Symbols in that Qilin replaces the White Tiger. The Four Symbols are the Azure Dragon () in the East, White Tiger () in the West, Vermilion Bird () in the South, and the Black Turtle-Snake () in the North.
Regional examples Vietnam In Ho Chi Minh City, there are four areas named after the beasts in Suối Tiên Park. They are the Palace, the Palace, the Lake, and the Palace.
In Mekong Delta, there are four islets (cồn) lie nearby on Tiền River are widely known as: Dragon (龍, Long), Qilin (麟, Lân) (part of Mỹ Tho) Turtle (龜, Qui) and Phoenix (鳳, Phụng) (part of Bến Tre).
China Summer Palace has statues of the four Beasts. Korea Patterns of the four holy beasts are found in Bronze mirrors of the Goryeo dynasty and Pottery.
Gallery
See also Four Symbols Wudaxian
References