What are the five great beasts?

The five great beasts are Qinglong, Baihu, Suzaku, Xuanwu and Kirin.

1. Qinglong

Dragon, a totem of the Chinese nation since ancient times, has the meaning of the throne. Dragon is like a man in folk, and has become the most distinguished mascot representative in the eyes of Chinese. In ancient times, it was also a common pattern on royal items, such as the dragon robe worn by the emperor and the dragon chair he sat in. It can be seen that our country loves dragons.

2. White Tiger

The white tiger symbolizes power and the army, so many places named after the white tiger in ancient times are related to military affairs, such as the white tiger flag in the ancient army and the white tiger statue on the military symbol. In the concept of the stars in the pre-Qin period, the white tiger was regarded as one of the four spirits and four elephants.

3. Kirin

People regard Kirin as a mascot. It is said that wherever Kirin steps on, it will bring good luck to people there, so it is called "Kirin is auspicious". In traditional culture, Kirin is a symbol of auspiciousness. Since ancient times, there has been a saying that "Kirin comes out of prosperity". At the same time, the people also firmly believe that Kirin is an auspicious beast to eliminate disasters and solve problems, drive away evil spirits, ward off evil spirits in towns and houses, and promote wealth and promotion.

4. Xuanwu

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

5. Suzaku

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