No. 018
Bonghwang (phoenix)
鳳凰봉황 (bonghwang)
Divine beast
Draft, not yet reviewed
An auspicious, noble imaginary bird; the male is bong (鳳) and the female hwang (凰). Its appearance was said to mean great peace under heaven, so it became the emblem of a sage ruler.
Names
- Korean
- 봉황
- Hanja
- 鳳凰
- Revised Romanization
- bonghwang
- English
- Bonghwang (phoenix)
Appearance
It differs by text. The Shuowen jiezi gives it a goose's front and a qilin's back, a snake's neck, a fish's tail, a dragon's markings, a tiger's back, a chicken's beak and other borrowed parts, in five colours.
Habitat
Said to come from the eastern land of gentlemen, fly beyond the four seas and roost at night in the Cave of Winds.
Related creatures
- Related Dragon
- Related Girin (qilin)
Attestations
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Encyclopedia of Korean Culture Encyclopedia
What it says: The bonghwang article: its place among the Four Spirits, its differing descriptions in the texts, and how it became the emblem of the sage ruler.