The
Four Symbols are four
mythological creatures in the
Chinese constellations. They are the
Azure Dragon , of the East, the
Vermilion Bird of the South, the
White Tiger of the West, and the
Black Turtle of the North. Each one of them represents a direction and a season, and each has its own individual characteristics and origins. Symbolically and as part of spiritual and religious belief, they have been culturally important in China,
Korea,
Vietnam, and
Japan. In the latter countries, they are known under the names, correspondingly: Cheongryong (청룡)/Thanh Long/Seiryū (せいりゅう), Jujak (주작)/Chu Tước/Suzaku (すざく), Baek-ho (백호)/Bạch Hổ/Byakko (びゃっこ), and Hyeonmu (현무)/Huyền Vũ/Genbu (げんぶ).