Dānghù

當扈Danghu

The whisker-flying pheasant of Mount Shangshen from the Shan Hai Jing: shaped like a pheasant, it flies with its whiskers, eating it prevents eye strain.《山海经》记载上申山神鸟当扈：状如野鸡而以髭须飞翔，食之不眴目，善疗眼目昏花。

Form形貌

Like a pheasant羽色斑斓宛若野雉

其狀如雉

Flight飞翔

Flies with whiskers咽下长髯振空翔凌

以其髯飛

Cure食效

Prevents blurred eyes明目安神目光如炬

不眴目

Home栖居

Mount Shangshen群栖林木丰美上申山

上申之山

Woodblock print from Gujin Tushu Jicheng showing the pheasant-like bird Danghu gliding with outspread facial whiskers, inscribed 'Danghu Tu'以其髯飛Throat whiskers以髯飞翔以其髯飛Throat whiskers以髯飞翔其狀如雉Pheasant plumage锦鸡羽躯其狀如雉Pheasant plumage锦鸡羽躯雉尾Long tail plumes修长雉尾雉尾Long tail plumes修长雉尾不眴目Keen eyes & beak清明目晶不眴目Keen eyes & beak清明目晶
湯水出焉，東流注于河

The Tang waters flow from here, running east into the Yellow River.

山海經·西山經
當扈圖, Gujin Tushu Jicheng 古今圖書集成, Qin Chong Dian (Section on Birds and Animals), woodblock print, 1726清·陈梦雷等编《古今图书集成·禽虫典》“當扈图”，雍正四年（1726）铜活字印本 · Public domain公有领域

Highlighted words: anatomy part · feature · form type — tap to jump标色词：形态部位 · 特征 · 形态类别，点击可跳转

The texts原文

Original Text & Translation原文与译文

山海經·西山經 · 山海經·西山經 · Wikisource

上申之山，其鳥多當扈，其狀如雉，以其髯飛，食之不眴目。湯水出焉，東流注于河。
Among the birds many are Danghu, shaped like a pheasant, which fly using their throat whiskers; consuming them prevents twitching and blurred vision.

山海經·西山經 · 山海經·西山經 · Wikisource

上申之山，其鳥多當扈，其狀如雉，以其髯飛，食之不眴目。湯水出焉，東流注于河。
Among the birds many are Danghu, shaped like a pheasant, which fly using their throat whiskers; consuming them prevents twitching and blurred vision.

Comparing the Books典籍对比

The Classic of the Western Mountains documents the Danghu of Mount Shangshen: a pheasant that flies with its throat whiskers, eaten to maintain keen eyesight.

The story来历与故事

A delightfully unconventional aerial marvel of western mountain peaks: patterned in the brilliant plumage of a golden pheasant, but defying ordinary aerodynamics by taking flight with the stiff, fan-like whiskers trailing from its throat. In ancient Chinese medicine, its meat was prized for banishing blurred vision and preserving crystal-clear sight.

The Whisker-Winged Avian of Mount Shangshen上申之山与以髯飞翔

The Shan Hai Jing states in the Classic of the Western Mountains that twenty li 《山海经·西山经》记载，又北二十里曰上申之山，上无草木而多硌石，下多榛楛，兽多白

The Shan Hai Jing states in the Classic of the Western Mountains that twenty li northward lies Mount Shangshen, a crag strewn with boulders above and hazel thickets below, where herds of white deer roam. Flocking among the trees are the Danghu, avians with the elegant proportions of wild pheasants.

The bird's most famous anatomical wonder is its propulsion: 'it flies using its throat whiskers' ('yi qi ran fei'). While other avians flap heavy feathered wings, the Danghu spreads stiff, specialized whiskers from beneath its jaw, catching the thermal mountain drafts with effortless buoyancy. Furthermore, ancient texts record its precise medical virtue: 'eating it keeps one from shun mu'—banishing eye twitches, cataracts, and visual fatigue.

Unconventional Flight in Classical Thought反常合道之飞翔美学与古代眼科

In classical literary aesthetics, Guo Pu praised the Danghu's paradoxical flight晋代郭璞在《山海经图赞》中由衷赞叹：“鸟以翼翔，此独以髯。物之反常，乃其天然。”

In classical literary aesthetics, Guo Pu praised the Danghu's paradoxical flight as a masterclass in nature's infinite variety: 'ordinary birds fly with wings, but Danghu flies with beard.' Daoist commentators saw in this an allegory for transcending rigid conventional methods to achieve effortless freedom.

In dynastic woodblock encyclopedias like the Gujin Tushu Jicheng, Danghu was rendered with delicate throat plumage fluttering on the wind, revered as the patron spirit of clear-sighted observers.

Record档案

Record Card档案卡

TypeMedicinal Avian (whisker-flying pheasant curing eye fatigue)
Also known asWhisker-Winged Pheasant; Clear-Vision Avian
Earliest sourceShan Hai Jing 山海經 (Classic of the Western Mountains)
Healing PowerConsuming its flesh cures blurred vision, eye twitching, and visual exhaustion ('bu shun mu')
HabitatDwells upon Mount Shangshen among boulders and white deer herds
SymbolismEarly prototype of ophthalmological remedies and unconventional aerodynamic flight
Earliest source山海經·西山經
Source books山海經·西山經
Image sourceChen Menglei 陳夢雷 (ed.) · Wikimedia Commons
LicensePublic domain
Divine BirdsAuspiciousShan Hai JingWinged有翼Bird-bodied鸟身

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Danghu in Chinese mythology?

The Danghu is a pheasant-like bird from the Shan Hai Jing that flies using its throat whiskers. Eating its meat cures eye twitching, blurred vision, and dizziness.

How does the Danghu fly without ordinary wings?

Classical texts describe its throat whiskers ('ran') as specialized, fan-like aerodynamic structures that catch mountain wind currents.

What does 'bu shun mu' mean?

'Bu shun mu' (不眴目) means preventing blurred vision, dizziness, eye fatigue, and involuntary eyelid twitching.

One more?再看一只？

Draw another creature随机抽一只怪