Jawnomicon

Pixiu

Also called Pi Xiu, Bixie, Tianlu.

In Chinese folklore and popular belief, the Pixiu is a winged, lion-like guardian beast famed for attracting and hoarding wealth, having no anus so that fortune it swallows can never leave.

At a glance

Tradition
Chinese mythology
Region
China (place of origin)
Trait family
The Ward-Holders
Symbols
Lion

Near this figure

and 9 more

Symbols

Judged against the description by a model. Meanings are our own paraphrase.

Traits

Read from the figure's description, which a model wrote. Open "why" for the sentence a trait came from.

Form

  • Feeds exclusively on precious metal
    why

    swallowing gold, silver, and jewels through its mouth

  • Hybrid of multiple animals
    why

    Descriptions of the Pixiu vary by region and era, but it is most commonly depicted as a stocky, muscular creature with the body of a lion or dragon-horse, a broad head sometimes maned like a lion, clawed feet, and one or two feathered or scaled wings sprouting from its shoulders.

Behaviour

  • Treasure guardian
    why

    In Chinese folklore and popular belief, the Pixiu is a winged, lion-like guardian beast famed for attracting and hoarding wealth, having no anus so that fortune it swallows can never leave.

Defensive powers

  • Guardianship
    why

    The creature is traditionally rendered in jade, bronze, or stone as a talisman or tomb guardian, often with an open, roaring mouth and a compact, crouching posture.

Utility powers

  • Wealth attraction
    why

    The Pixiu's defining power is its ability to draw wealth, treasure, and good fortune toward its owner, swallowing gold, silver, and jewels through its mouth.

Roles

Judged from the works' own entries, not from the description. Carries: the figure holds the role. Meets: the role is in its stories, held by something it meets.