Feng huang – The legend of the phoenix

Feng huang, or the phoenix bird, is one of the four Chinese mythical animals, si ling. This figure appears in objects dating from thousands of years ago, which shows that it has its origins in the very beginning of the Chinese culture. The Chinese phoenix is not directly linked with the bird that goes by the same name in the Western world that rises from the ashes and symbolizes rebirth.

The feng huang slightly resembles a peacock, but stories have it that it is in fact a much more sizable creature than its modern-day cousin. It also embodies the characteristics of many other feathered species, which is why it is considered the epitome of all birds. Some literary sources claim that the mythic phoenix has its roots in a prehistorical, possibly ostrich-like large bird that lived in China long ago. Whatever the truth, the phoenix carries on its own mythological existence as an animal of legends.

In stories, the phoenix is either described as being black, white, red, green or yellow. In Chinese geomagnetism it is used to represent the south.

The original Chinese name of the phoenix, feng huang, incorporates the notions of feng, a male bird and huang, a female one, so according to this logic, the bird is actually a symbol of the union between femininity and masculinity, or yin and yang.

The phoenix is often depicted together with the symbol for masculinity and the emperor, a dragon. Together, they symbolize the emperor and empress, or more commonly, a husband and his wife. In this eternal union, the phoenix represents female virtues, such as charm and beauty. For this reason, the wedding dresses worn by Chinese brides are often decorated with a picture of the phoenix.

In Chinese families, a child, especially twins, are always considered a blessing. If someone has the great fortune of getting a boy and a girl baby at the same time, it means that the entire family has been greatly blessed. These sets of boy-girl twins are referred to as long feng bao, or dragon-phoenix twins.

The Chinese characters for phoenix.The phoenix symbolizes justice and graciousness. It does not tolerate lies or the abuse of power, which is why it never appears to people who engage in such amoral acts. The feng huang is an extremely kind creature, which is why the legends of the phoenix do not contain any elements of vengefulness; the bird simply shuns away from those who fail to meet its high moral standards. In fact, the phoenix is so docile, that it only consumes morning dew – in order to avoid causing harm to any animals or plants.

It is not hard to guess that accounts of phoenix sightings are few and far between... just as in the case of other Chinese mythological creatures. But these birds of virtue do exist - they have for millennia, and they will for millennia to come.