Háozhì

豪彘Haozhi

The quilled porcupine-like beast of Mount Zhu from the Shan Hai Jing: shaped like a pig with white quills as thick as hairpins tipped with black.《山海经》记载竹山异兽毫彘：状如小猪而白毛，粗大如簪笄而黑端，即上古豪猪。

Body身形

Like a pig形貌敦实若野小豚

其狀如豚

Body硬刺

White bristles通体倒竖如笄白刺

白毛

Colour刺尖

Black tips硬刺末梢皆点纯黑

黑端

Home栖居

Mount Zhu with bamboos栖息幽翠竹山之林

竹山

Woodblock print from Gujin Tushu Jicheng showing the quilled porcupine beast Haozhi bristling with sharp spine quills, inscribed 'Haozhi Tu'其狀如豚Piglet snout如豚头面其狀如豚Piglet snout如豚头面白毛White quills雪白硬鬃白毛White quills雪白硬鬃大如笄Hairpin quills粗大如笄大如笄Hairpin quills粗大如笄黑端Black tips墨色尖梢黑端Black tips墨色尖梢
有獸焉，其名曰毫彘

There is a beast here; its name is Haozhi.

山海經·西山經
豪彘圖, 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》“豪彘图”，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

竹山，有獸焉，其狀如豚而白毛，大如笄而黑端，名曰毫彘。
There is a beast here shaped like a piglet with white quills as large as hairpins with black tips, named Haozhi.

山海經·西山經 · 山海經·西山經 · Wikisource

竹山，有獸焉，其狀如豚而白毛，大如笄而黑端，名曰毫彘。
There is a beast here shaped like a piglet with white quills as large as hairpins with black tips, named Haozhi.

Comparing the Books典籍对比

The Classic of the Western Mountains details the Haozhi on Mount Zhu: ancient China’s earliest observed porcupine, famous for its hairpin-sized defensive black-tipped quills.

The story来历与故事

Ancient China’s definitive mythological armor-bearer: an agile, low-slung quadruped resembling a stout piglet, bristling from crest to rump in an impenetrable armor of snowy defensive quills. Each lance-like spine grows as thick as a bone hairpin with a razor-sharp black tip, rattling fiercely against intruders.

The Hairpin-Armored Beast of Mount Zhu竹山险境与大如笄之毛

The Shan Hai Jing recounts in the Classic of the Western Mountains that fifty-tw《山海经·西山经》记载，又西五十二里曰竹山，其上多乔木，其阴多铁。山中清泉流注，

The Shan Hai Jing recounts in the Classic of the Western Mountains that fifty-two li westward lies Mount Zhu, thick with iron deposits and tall timber. Here lives the Haozhi (the archaic porcupine), an animal with a piglet’s compact frame draped in thick white spines.

The classic provides an unforgettable domestic comparison for its armor: the quills are 'as thick as hairpins with black tips' ('da ru ji er hei duan'). When startled by predators, the Haozhi raises its spiny crest, rattling its hollow quills to generate a menacing vibration that keeps even panthers and wolves at bay.

From Ancient Mountain Lore to Modern Zoology从神怪类书到古典动物学名物考

Jin dynasty commentator Guo Pu noted simply: 'This is today's porcupine (Haozhu)晋代郭璞在注《山海经》时一针见血地指出：“即今豪猪也，能以箭射人者。”虽然现代生

Jin dynasty commentator Guo Pu noted simply: 'This is today's porcupine (Haozhu), which shoots its quills.' Although modern zoology confirms porcupines do not fire quills like arrows, ancient observers were so astounded by the detachment of loose spines that they credited the creature with projectile weaponry.

Through centuries of Chinese art and encyclopedias, Haozhi remained an enduring symbol of natural tactical defense, revered for its impenetrable peaceful bristling.

Record档案

Record Card档案卡

TypeQuilled Beast (hairpin-quilled porcupine)
Also known asAncient Porcupine; Hairpin-Quilled Beast
Earliest sourceShan Hai Jing 山海經 (Classic of the Western Mountains)
Quill SizeSpines grow thick and sturdy as traditional bone hairpins ('da ru ji')
DefenseRattles and erects bristling quills to repel predators and forest invaders
HabitatDwells upon Mount Zhu amidst bamboo groves, iron ore, and mountain streams
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
Fierce BeastsCalamityShan Hai JingBeast-bodied兽身

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Haozhi in the Shan Hai Jing?

The Haozhi is the ancient Chinese porcupine recorded in the Shan Hai Jing, described as piglet-like with white, hairpin-sized quills tipped with black.

Where does the Haozhi live?

According to the Shan Hai Jing, the Haozhi dwells on Mount Zhu, a mountain rich in iron ore and tall trees.

What does 'da ru ji' mean in the text?

'Ji' (笄) was an ancient hairpin used to fasten topknots; 'da ru ji' means its defensive spines were as thick and sturdy as a bone hairpin.

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