The Suanni: Namely, the Lion

original: "狻猊 即獅" (Suanni ji shi). The Suanni is historically one of the "Nine Sons of the Dragon" in Chinese mythology, known for sitting still and liking smoke. However, in ancient Chinese records, the term was also used to describe the lion, an animal not native to China that arrived via the Silk Road and was often viewed as a semi-mythical beast.

The woodblock illustration depicts a Suanni, identified by the accompanying text as a lion. The animal is shown with a highly stylized, curly mane and a large, flowing, multi-stranded tail, standing in a dynamic three-quarter pose. This represents a pre-modern Chinese understanding of the lion, blending observed anatomical features with traditional dragon-like iconography.

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 (astronomy), Earth (geography), and Humanity (arts/sciences).

Birds and Beasts, Volume Two

The Qilin

original: "麒麟" (Qilin); often called the "Chinese Unicorn" in Western contexts, the Qilin is a gentle chimera with the body of a deer, the tail of an ox, and a single horn. It is said to appear only during the reign of a truly virtuous ruler.

The Record of Rites by the Elder Dai original: "大戴禮" (Da Dai Li); a collection of ritual matters and social etiquette compiled during 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" (Shuowen); the first Chinese dictionary to explain the origin of characters and their components. 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); a "weishu" or apocryphal text that interprets natural omens as reflections of a King's morality. "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"; the philosopher Xunzi, whose work emphasizes that nature follows its own path but responds to the order or chaos created by human governance. said: "When the world is well-ordered, the Qilin appears.?"