Buddhist Creatures

Chinese creature lore appears in chronicles, local gazetteers, bestiaries, temple art, and popular storytelling. Beings mark authority, protect households and gates, steer rain and rivers, and test travelers on mountain roads. Symbols include clouds, waves, pearls, horns, scales, and ritual seals used to confirm protection and justice. Cards explain roles as guardian, guide, messenger, tempter, healer, or avenger and note shifts between court culture and village belief. Entries include transliteration in pinyin and older systems with regional variants recorded from inscriptions and woodblock prints. Use tiles to browse by province, habitat, or function and compare motifs across periods.