Discover Chinese Mythology

Ao Bing is the Third Prince of the East Sea Dragon King and the reincarnation of the Spirit Pearl — the destined other half of Nezha's Demon Orb. Raised in the deep-sea prison where Heaven confined his entire dragon clan, he carries the crushing weight of his people's hope for liberation. Gentle, dutiful and tragically torn between family mission and his only friendship, his bond with Nezha — spirit pearl and demon orb, ice and fire — became the emotional core of the highest-grossing animated film in history.

A white snake spirit who cultivated for a thousand years to attain human form. She fell deeply in love with the mortal scholar Xu Xian at West Lake, married him, and used her healing powers to help the poor. When the monk Fahai exposed her true nature and imprisoned her beneath Thunder Peak Pagoda (雷峰塔), her unwavering love became one of China's Four Great Folktales (四大民间传说).

The Bull Demon King is the most powerful demon lord in Journey to the West and the sworn elder brother of Sun Wukong, styling himself the Heaven-Pacifying Sage (平天大圣). Husband of Princess Iron Fan and father of Red Boy, he rules the demon world of the West from his Thunder-Stockpiling Mountain. When Wukong came to borrow the Plantain Fan to cross the Flaming Mountain, old brotherhood turned into the greatest demon war of the novel — requiring the combined forces of Buddhism and Heaven to subdue his thousand-zhang white bull true form.

Caishen, whose mortal identity is the Taoist master Zhao Gongming, is the most worshipped God of Wealth in the Chinese world. Enthroned by Jiang Ziya in the Investiture of the Gods as the True Lord of the Dark Altar (玄坛真君), he commands four subordinate deities of fortune: Treasure Summoning, Treasure Gathering, Wealth Attracting and Profit Bringing. Black-faced and fierce-browed, wielding a golden whip and riding a black tiger, he is greeted into homes and shops every fifth day of the Lunar New Year — the single most beloved deity of everyday prosperity.

Once a mortal guardian of the elixir of life, Chang'e drank it to keep it from a tyrant and ascended to the moon, where she guards the lunar palace with the Jade Rabbit and inspires Mid-Autumn prayers for reunion.

Erlang Shen is one of the most powerful warrior deities in Chinese mythology, famous for his third true-seeing eye and his loyal celestial hound Xiaotian. He is the nephew of the Jade Emperor and achieved godhood through his own merit rather than birthright. His legendary battle with Sun Wukong during the Monkey King's rebellion against Heaven is one of the most celebrated confrontations in Chinese mythology.

One of the Three Sovereigns (三皇) of prehistoric China who taught humanity the essential arts of civilization — hunting, fishing, cooking, and writing. As brother and husband of Nuwa, he co-founded social order and created the Eight Trigrams (八卦), the philosophical foundation of Chinese cosmology.

Guan Yu is the Three Kingdoms general deified after death as Lord Guan — the Saint of War revered simultaneously by Confucians, Taoists and Buddhists, worshipped by police officers and triad gangs alike. With his long beard, red face, Green Dragon Crescent Blade and the horse Red Hare, he is the supreme embodiment of loyalty and righteousness in Chinese culture. Over 1,800 years he rose from marquis to king to emperor to god, with more than 30,000 temples dedicated to him worldwide.

Guanyin is the Bodhisattva of Compassion and the most widely worshipped deity in all of East Asia. Originally the male Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara in Indian Buddhism, Guanyin gradually transformed into a female figure in Chinese culture, becoming the embodiment of maternal mercy and unconditional love. She chose to remain in the mortal realm rather than enter Nirvana, vowing to hear every cry of suffering and deliver all beings from pain before achieving her own final enlightenment.

A master archer who saved the world by shooting down nine of the ten scorching suns. He is the husband of Chang'e and a symbol of courage, strength, and tragic heroism in Chinese mythology.

Hua Mulan is the heroine of the ancient Ballad of Mulan who disguised herself as a man to take her elderly father's place in the army, fighting for twelve years without her comrades ever discovering her secret. Returning home a decorated warrior, she refused all official titles and simply resumed her life as a daughter. She is the most globally recognized Chinese heroine — a dual symbol of filial devotion and female strength whose story has been told for 1,500 years and reached worldwide fame through Disney.

Jiang Ziya is the elderly sage who spent decades fishing in obscurity with a straight, baitless hook before King Wen of Zhou discovered his genius. As supreme strategist he guided the Zhou to overthrow the tyrannical Shang dynasty at the Battle of Muye, then performed the Divine Investiture — appointing 365 gods to the celestial bureaucracy with the Investiture List in hand. He is the ultimate Chinese symbol of late-blooming greatness and the narrative hub of the entire Fengshen pantheon.

A rebellious child-god born from lotus root who defied unjust authority, sacrificed himself to save his family, and was reborn to become a powerful protector deity.

A primordial goddess who created humanity from yellow clay and mended the broken sky with colorful stones. She represents creation, restoration, and the nurturing force of nature.

Born from a magical stone, Sun Wukong is the ultimate trickster hero who challenged heaven itself and became the protector of the monk Xuanzang on the journey to retrieve Buddhist scriptures.

Yanluowang is the fearsome ruler of Diyu, the Chinese underworld, who judges the souls of the dead and determines their fate in the afterlife. Originally derived from the Hindu deity Yama, he was absorbed into Chinese Buddhist and Taoist mythology where he became the chief among the Ten Kings of Hell. Despite his terrifying appearance, he is considered a just and impartial judge who punishes the wicked and rewards the virtuous, maintaining cosmic balance between life and death.

A brilliant scholar who became the ultimate demon hunter after his tragic death. Zhong Kui protects the innocent from evil spirits and maintains the balance between the mortal and spirit worlds.

Zhu Bajie, also known as Pigsy, was once the mighty Marshal Tianpeng who commanded 80,000 celestial naval forces in Heaven. After drunkenly flirting with the Moon Goddess Chang'e, he was banished to Earth but accidentally reincarnated into a pig demon's body. Despite his lazy, gluttonous, and lustful nature, he becomes an indispensable member of Xuanzang's pilgrimage team, providing comic relief while hiding surprising combat prowess beneath his buffoonish exterior.