Vermilion Bird

Vermilion Bird
Zhūquè sculpture on an eaves tile
Chinese	朱雀
Literal meaning	"Vermilion Peafowl"
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zhūquè Wade–Giles Chu1-ch'üeh4 IPA [ʈʂu.tɕʰɥê] Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Jyūjeuk Jyutping Zyu1-zoek3 IPA [tsyː˥.tsœːk̚˧] Southern Min Hokkien POJ Chu-chhiok

The Vermilion Bird (Chinese: 朱雀; pinyin: Zhūquè) is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations. According to Wu Xing, the Taoist five elemental system, it represents the Fire element, the direction south, and the season summer correspondingly. Thus it is sometimes called the Vermilion Bird of the South (Chinese: 南方朱雀, Nán Fāng Zhū Què). It is described as a red bird that resembles a pheasant with a five-colored plumage and is perpetually covered in flames. It is known as Suzaku in Japanese, Jujak in Korean and Chu Tước in Vietnamese.

It is often mistaken for the Fenghuang due to similarities in appearance, but the two are different creatures.^[1] The Fenghuang is a legendary ruler of birds who is associated with the Chinese Empress in the same way the dragon is associated with the Emperor, while the Vermilion Bird is a mythological spirit creature of the Chinese constellations.