What are the four great beasts in ancient China?

The four great beasts in China are Qinglong, Baihu, Suzaku and Xuanwu.

Qinglong 1

Qinglong is one of the four gods in China ancient mythology, which originated from the worship of ancient stars. It is the God of the East, representing Tai Hao and the Seven Nights in the East. It is shocking in the gossip, the main tree in the five elements, symbolizing the shaoyang in the four elephants and the spring in the four seasons.

2. White tiger

The White Tiger is one of the four gods in China's ancient mythology, which originated from the worship of ancient stars. It is the God of the West, representing seven nights in Shao Hao and the West. It is the main gold in the eight diagrams and five elements, symbolizing that the four elephants lack yin and the four seasons are autumn.

3. Suzaku

Suzaku is one of the four spirits in ancient China mythology, which originated from the worship of ancient stars. It is the southern god who represents Emperor Yan and the seven nights in the south. It is separated from the gossip, igniting the fire in the five elements, symbolizing Lao Yang in the four elephants and summer in the four seasons.

4. Xuanwu

Xuanwu, one of the four heavenly spirits in China's ancient mythology, originated from the worship of ancient stars, which refers to dividing twenty-eight lodges into seven northern Xuanwu lodges according to the southeast and northwest of the four elephants. In the traditional culture of China, the four elephants refer to Qinglong, Baihu, Suzaku and Xuanwu, representing the east, west, north and south directions respectively. Xuanwu in the north is based on gossip, and the five elements dominate the water, symbolizing the old yin in the four elephants and the winter in the four seasons.

Extended data

In ancient China, the stars in the sky were divided into seven star zones, namely "Three Walls" and "Four Elephants". The so-called "wall" is the "city wall". Three walls are arranged in a triangle around Polaris. There are four elephants around the three walls: East Black Dragon, West White Tiger, South Suzaku and North Xuanwu.

That is to say, the stars in the east are like dragons, the stars in the west are like tigers, the stars in the south are like big birds, and the stars in the north are like turtles and snakes. As the earth revolves around the sun, the stars in the sky change with the seasons. Every evening at the turn of winter and spring, the black dragon appears; At the turn of spring and summer, Xuanwu rose; At the turn of summer and autumn, white tigers emerge; At the turn of autumn and winter, Suzaku rose, known as the "four great beasts".

Baidu Encyclopedia-Four Great Beasts