Collected Illustrations of the Three Realms

original: "三才圖會" (Sancai Tuhui); a comprehensive Ming Dynasty encyclopedia intended to catalog all knowledge across the realms of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity.

Birds and Beasts, Volume Two

The Qilin

original: "麒麟" (Qilin); often translated as "Chinese Unicorn," though it is a chimera. It is a symbol of benevolence, prosperity, and the arrival of a wise ruler.

The Record of Rites by the Elder Dai original: "大戴禮" (Da Dai Li); a collection of ritual texts from the Han Dynasty. states that there are three hundred and sixty species of furred creatures, and the Qilin is the leader among them. The Shuowen Jiezi original: "說文"; the first Chinese dictionary to analyze characters, compiled by Xu Shen. notes: the female is called Qi and the male is called Lin.

When the male cries out, it is called "Wandering toward the Sage"; the female's cry is called "Returning to Harmony." Their cry in the spring is called "Supporting the Young," and their cry in the autumn is called "Nurturing Peace."

According to the Amulet of the Essence of Feelings in the Spring and Autumn Annals: original: "春秋感精符" (Chunqiu Ganjing Fu); an apocryphal text from the Han Dynasty that links natural phenomena to the conduct of rulers. "When a King does not harm the unborn in the womb and does not break the eggs in the nest, then the Qilin will appear in the outskirts of the city."

Sun Qingzi original: "孫卿子"; another name for the philosopher Xunzi (c. 310 – c. 235 BCE). said: "When a ruler loves life and hates killing, the Qilin will wander in the wild."

Some say: The Lin has a horn, while the Qi resembles the Lin but lacks a horn.

Song Jun a Han Dynasty commentator said: "The Qilin is blue and yellow in color."

The Garden of Stories original: "說苑" (Shuoyuan); a collection of anecdotes and moral parables compiled by Liu Xiang. says: "The Qilin has the body of a river deer, original: "麇" (jūn); the water deer or hydropote, often used in classical texts to describe the Qilin's delicate frame. the tail of an ox, the feet of a horse, and round hooves. It has a single horn, and there is flesh on the tip of the horn." The "flesh on the horn" signifies that while the Qilin has the potential for defense, it is so benevolent that its weapon is soft and harmless.