Fenghuang
Mythological bird reigning over all others in Sinosphere traditions.
The Fenghuang (pronounced fung-HWAHNG) is a mythological bird found in traditions across the Sinosphere. It rules over all other birds. Originally, the male was called *feng* and the female *huang*, but today that distinction is rarely made, and the Fenghuang is usually seen as a feminine figure paired with the masculine Chinese dragon. In Western contexts, it is often called the Chinese phoenix, but any similarities to the Western or Persian phoenix are only surface-level.
**Appearance**
Early depictions often showed the Fenghuang attacking snakes with its talons, its wings spread wide. According to the *Erya* (chapter 17, *Shiniao*), it had the beak of a rooster, the face of a swallow, the forehead of a fowl, the neck of a snake, the breast of a goose, the back of a tortoise, the hindquarters of a stag, and the tail of a fish. Modern descriptions, however, usually mix features from many birds: the head of a golden pheasant, the body of a mandarin duck, the tail of a peacock, the legs of a crane, the mouth of a parrot, and the wings of a swallow.
The bird’s body also represents celestial bodies: its head is the sky, its eyes the sun, its back the moon, its wings the wind, its feet the earth, and its tail the planets. It is said to have originated in the sun. Its plumage contains the five fundamental colors—black, white, red, yellow, and green or blue. Sometimes it carries scrolls or a box of sacred books, and it may be shown with a fireball. The Fenghuang is believed to appear only in places blessed with peace, prosperity, or happiness. Chinese tradition says it lives atop Mount Danzuan in the southern mountains.
**Origin**
The oldest known Fenghuang design dates to around the 7th millennium BC, discovered at the Gaomiao Archaeological Site in Hongjiang, Hunan Province. The earliest known dragon-and-Fenghuang design comes from the Yangshao culture (c. 5000–3000 BC), found near Xi’an in Shaanxi Province. These ancient designs point to a form of totemism in early China. During the Shang dynasty, both phoenix and dragon images became popular as burial objects; jade Fenghuang and jade dragons have been found in Shang tombs. The *Xuanniao* mentioned in Zhou dynasty poetry about the Shang people is implied—and in the *Shuowen Jiezi* glossed—as a male Fenghuang (simply *Feng*).
By the Spring and Autumn period (c. 771–476 BC) and the Warring States period, co
- field
- Mythology, Symbolism
- nationality
- Chinese (Sinosphere)
- known_for
- Reigning over all birds; symbol of virtue, grace, and the union of yin and yang; emblem of the empress when paired with the dragon
- earliest_known_design
- 7th millennium BC, Gaomiao Archaeological Site, Hongjiang, Hunan Province
- earliest_dragon_fenghuang_design
- Yangshao culture (c. 5000 – c. 3000 BC), near Xi'an, Shaanxi Province
Lore & Background
The fenghuang is described as a composite of many birds: according to the Erya's chapter 17 Shiniao, it has the beak of a rooster, the face of a swallow, the forehead of a fowl, the neck of a snake, the breast of a goose, the back of a tortoise, the hindquarters of a stag, and the tail of a fish. Today it is often depicted with the head of a golden pheasant, the body of a mandarin duck, the tail of a peacock, the legs of a crane, the mouth of a parrot, and the wings of a swallow. Its body symbolizes celestial bodies: the head is the sky, the eyes the sun, the back the moon, the wings the wind, the feet the earth, and the tail the planets. It is said to have originated in the sun and contains the five fundamental colors: black, white, red, yellow, and green or blue. It sometimes carries scrolls or a box with sacred books and is occasionally depicted with a fireball. The bird is believed to appear only in areas blessed with utmost peace, prosperity, or happiness, and Chinese tradition cites it as living atop Mount Danzuan in the southern mountains.
Reader's Guide
The fenghuang has deep historical and symbolic significance across the Sinosphere. Its earliest known design dates to about the 7th millennium BC, and dragon-fenghuang designs appear from the Yangshao culture onward, evidence of ancient totemism. During the Shang dynasty, fenghuang and dragon images became popular as burial objects. In the Han dynasty, an imperial edict decreed fenghuang hairpins as the formal headpiece for the empress dowager and imperial grandmother. By the Yuan dynasty, the terms feng and huang merged into fenghuang, and the bird came to symbolize the empress when paired with the dragon representing the emperor. From the Jiajing era of the Ming dynasty onward, a pair of fenghuang was differentiated by tail feathers: the male with five long serrated filaments (yang number) and the female with two curling tendrils (yin number). The fenghuang also represented the direction south and its feathers embodied Confucius' five virtues: ren (benevolence), yi (honesty), zhi (knowledge), xin (faithfulness), and li (propriety). It symbolized power sent from heaven to the Empress and was used in wedding and royal decorations. In modern Japan and Korea, it remains associated with the head of state: in Japan, the Hōō adorns the Imperial throne and currency; in Korea, two bonghwang appear in the symbol of the President. The fenghuang also appears in place names, given names, and as a term for chicken claws in Chinese cuisine.
Did You Know?
- The fenghuang's body symbolizes celestial bodies: the head is the sky, the eyes the sun, the back the moon, the wings the wind, the feet the earth, and the tail the planets.
- The earliest known fenghuang design dates to about the 7th millennium BC, discovered at the Gaomiao Archaeological Site in Hongjiang, Hunan Province.
- During the Jiajing era of the Ming dynasty, a pair of fenghuang was differentiated by tail feathers: the male had five long serrated filaments and the female two curling tendrils.
- In modern Japan, the Hōō (Japanese pronunciation of 鳳凰) is used on the Imperial throne, the Imperial regalia, and the back of the ¥10,000 note.
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