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The Four Symbols are mythological creatures appearing among the Chinese constellations along the ecliptic, and viewed as the guardians of the four cardinal directions. These four creatures are also referred to by a variety of other names, including " Four Guardians", " Four Gods", and " Four Auspicious Beasts". They are the Azure Dragon of the East, the Vermilion Bird of the South, the White Tiger of the West, and the Black Tortoise (also called "Black Warrior") of the North. Each of the creatures is most closely associated with a cardinal direction and a color, but also additionally represents other aspects, including a season of the year, an emotion, virtue, and one of the Chinese "five elements" (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water). Each has been given its own individual traits, origin story and a reason for being. Symbolically, and as part of spiritual and religious belief and meaning, these creatures have been culturally important across countries in the Sinosphere.
The modern standard configuration was settled much later, with variations appearing throughout Chinese history. For example, the Rong Cheng Shi manuscript recovered in 1994, which dates to the Warring States period (–221 BCE), gives five directions rather than four and places the animals differently. According to that document, Yu the Great gave directional banners to his people, marked with the following insignia: the north with a bird, the south with a snake, the east with the sun, the west with the moon, and the center with a bear.Pines, Yuri. " Political Mythology and Dynastic Legitimacy in the Rong Cheng Shi Manuscript ". Bulletin of SOAS, Vol. 73, No. 3 (2010), p. 515. The Chinese classics Book of Rites mentions the Vermillion Bird, Black Tortoise (Dark Warrior), Azure Dragon, and White Tiger as heraldic animals on ; Liji, "Qu Li Shang (Summary of the Rules of Propriety Part 1)", 69 quote: "行：前朱鳥而後玄武，左青龍而右白虎。" James Legge's translation: "On the march the (banner with the) Red Bird should be in front; that with the Dark Warrior behind; that with the Azure Dragon on the left; and that with the White Tiger on the right". they were the names of asterisms associated with the four cardinal directions: South, North, East, and West, respectively.Zheng Xuan (annotator) & Kong Yingda (clarifier), Book of Rites: Annotated and Clarified, "Vol 3. Qu Li 1". Siku Quanshu version. p. 27 of 158. quote: "前南後北，左東右西。朱鳥、玄武、青龍、白虎，四方宿名也。"
In Taoism, the Four Symbols have been assigned human identities and names. The Azure Dragon is named Meng Zhang (孟章), the Vermilion Bird is called Ling Guang (陵光), the White Tiger Jian Bing (監兵), and the Black Tortoise Zhi Ming (執明). Its Japanese equivalent, in corresponding order: Azure Dragon (east), Vermilion Bird (south), Byakko (west), Black Tortoise (North).
The colours associated with the four creatures can be said to match the colours of soil in the corresponding areas of China: the bluish-grey water-logged soils of the east, the reddish iron-rich soils of the south, the whitish saline soils of the western deserts, the black organic-rich soils of the north, and the yellow soils from the central loess plateau.
易有太極， 是生兩儀， 兩儀生四象， 四象生八卦， In Change there is the Supreme Polarity, (太極; Taiji), which generates the Two Modes. (兩儀; Liangyi) The Two Modes generate the Four Images, (四象; Sixiang) and the Four Images generate the Eight Trigrams. (八卦; Bagua).
| Goumang (句芒) / Chong (重) |
| Zhurong (祝融) / Li (犁) |
| Rushou (蓐收) / Gai (該) |
| Xuanming (玄冥) / Xiu & Xi (修 & 熙) |
| Houtu (后土) / Goulong (句龍) |
In the Nintendo DS game Pokémon Black and White, Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus have forms that are inspired by the Vermillion Bird, the Azure Dragon, and the White Tiger respectively. Later, completed the set with Enamorus, which is inspired by the Black Tortoise.
In the Webtoon The God of High School, Daewi Han's "Secret Art of the Four Guardian Gods" technique consists of four stances named after the Four Symbols: The Fist of the Black Turtle, the Kick of The Red Phoenix, the Dance of The White Tiger, and the Wave of the Blue Dragon.
In the MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV Online, by Square Enix, the expansion features a quest-line and trial series inspired by The Four Symbols called "The Four Lords". The Four Lords all bear a resemblance to each of the Four Symbols along with their Japanese names: Genbu (Black Tortoise), Byakko (White Tiger), Suzaku (Vermilion Bird), and Seiryu (Azure Dragon).
In the turn-based strategy game series Dominions, by Illwinter Game Design, the White Tiger of the West, Vermillion Bird of the South, Azure Dragon of the East and Black Tortoise of the North are available as Pretender Gods.
In the Beyblade (manga) and anime, characters use Beyblades that are inspired by the Four Symbols: Dragoon for the Azure Dragon, Dranzer for the Vermillion Bird, Driger for the White Tiger, and Draciel for the Black Tortoise. A fifth such Beyblade was added in the first movie and made a few subsequent appearances, Strata Dragoon for the Yellow Dragon.
In the young adult science fantasy novel Iron Widow by Canadian writer Xiran Jay Zhao, several characters pilot mechas inspired by three of the Four Symbols: The Vermilion Bird, The Black Tortoise, and The White Tiger.
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