The Four Birds Most Like a Phoenix, Which One Is the Phoenix’s Prototype?
As a divine bird of our nation, the Phoenix is like a dragon, deeply ingrained in the genes of the Chinese people. In ancient times, dragons were often used to represent the emperor, while empresses were called Phoenixes. Phoenixes were also used as a prefix for things belonging to empresses, such as Phoenix crowns and Phoenix robes, which testifies to the Phoenix's prominent position in the hearts of the Chinese people.
Is the Phoenix a real animal or purely imaginary? This is a debate that still persists. Because the current image of the Phoenix makes it impossible to find an animal in nature that matches it exactly. Nowadays, the typical image of the Phoenix is largely based on the description in the *Classic of Poetry* (*Shi Jing*)’s *Rhymes of Travel*: ‘Chicken head, snake neck, swallow jaw, turtle back, fish tail, five colors,’ about six feet tall. Later, more extravagant and beautiful elements were added, forming the overall image of the Phoenix. In earlier times, descriptions of the Phoenix were less complex, as recorded in *Shan Hai* (Classic of Mountains and Seas): ‘There was a bird, resembling a chicken, with five colors, known as the Phoenix Emperor.’ The sentence ‘Phoenix Emperor,’ refers to birds with decorative headdresses. This clearly indicates that the Phoenix had a prototype in ancient times, but exactly what bird it was remains a mystery. Perhaps one thousand people would have one thousand different Phoenixes! Today, the author will introduce several birds that the author believes resemble the Phoenix.
Paintings of the Phoenix by ancient artists
First, the Red-bellied Golden Pheasant. The Red-bellied Golden Pheasant is a rare bird native to China, primarily found in protected areas in Shanxi and Hebei. It is a critically endangered species, with a small size, approximately one meter long, and a tail of about 38-42 cm. Male birds have a golden filamentous crest on their heads, and the upper body is mainly green, while the rest is golden. The plumage colors are vividly colored, with combinations of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple, creating a dazzling display. It is a renowned ornamental bird.
Second, the White-bellied Golden Pheasant. Compared to the Red-bellied Golden Pheasant, the White-bellied Golden Pheasant has a longer tail, generally with a body length of around 1.3 meters and a tail length of approximately 70 cm. From this point of view, it is more in line with the public's imagination of the Phoenix with a long tail and flowing feathers. The male White-bellied Golden Pheasant has a metallic green headpiece, a purple-red crest, a neck with white fan-shaped feathers dotted with black, and a white tail with blue-black markings. The White-bellied Golden Pheasant is in large numbers and can be used as medicinal material, making it a valuable medicinal herb.
Third, the Long-tailed Chicken. The Long-tailed Chicken is not a native Chinese breed; it is a decorative chicken bred in China from domestic chickens and wild original chickens in the 18th and 19th centuries. Their front part is similar to ordinary domestic chickens, but their tails are remarkably long, generally reaching 6-7 meters. It is said that the longest one can reach 12 meters. If this chicken was not artificially bred, it would really give the impression that it was the original prototype of the Phoenix to the public. I think it’s perfectly similar to the traditional image of the Phoenix.
Fourth, the Green Peacock. The Green Peacock is also a rare bird native to China, primarily found in the south of Yunnan. Peacocks are large birds, typically with a body length of over 2 meters. Male birds have graceful postures and a luxurious demeanor, with plumage predominantly in emerald green, a tuft of upright crest feathers on their heads, and a tail that extends over 1 meter, with brightly iridescent eye-shaped markings at the end, which is very similar to the Phoenix tail in our paintings. Especially when they take flight, their tails flutter in the wind, and their wings spread, which is particularly beautiful.
