Collected Illustrations of the Three Realms, Volume 9: Birds and Beasts, Part 3
Page 67

The Zouyu

The Zouyu (騶虞) is a legendary "benevolent beast" in Chinese tradition. Though it possesses the fearsome physical traits of a large feline, it is defined by its extreme compassion and non-violence.

[Image Description: A woodcut illustration depicts the mythical beast Zouyu. It is shown as a large, powerful animal with the body of a tiger, covered in dark stripes. Its most distinctive feature is a tail that is significantly longer than its entire body. The creature is depicted walking calmly through a rocky landscape beneath the overhanging branches of a pine tree, a traditional symbol of longevity and moral uprightness.]

According to classical sources like the Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shanhaijing), the Zouyu is white with black markings and is capable of traveling a thousand miles in a single day. It is hailed as a "righteous animal" because it refuses to eat any living creature, subsisting only on things that have died naturally, and is said to walk so gently that it never treads upon living blades of grass. Historically, its appearance was reported to the emperor as a high-level auspicious omen, signaling that the ruler's virtue had achieved a state of perfect harmony with nature.