Zhēng

猙Zheng

The five-tailed leopard beast of Mount Zhang'e from the Shan Hai Jing: shaped like a red leopard with one horn and five tails, calling like striking stone.《山海经》记载章莪山凶兽狰：其状如赤豹而五尾一角，其音如击石。

Body身形

Like a red leopard通体赤红若云豹

其狀如赤豹

Horn独角

Single horn顶生峥嵘独角

一角

Tail长尾

Five tails身后狂甩五尾

五尾

Voice叫声

Like striking stones吼声清越若击磐石

其音如擊石

Woodblock print from Gujin Tushu Jicheng showing the horned five-tailed leopard Zheng leaping across mountain rocks, inscribed 'Zheng Tu'一角Single horn额立独角一角Single horn额立独角赤豹Crimson leopard body赤豹身躯赤豹Crimson leopard body赤豹身躯五尾Five tails五尾翻卷五尾Five tails五尾翻卷擊石Striking jaws & paws击石利爪擊石Striking jaws & paws击石利爪
有獸焉，其名如猙

There is a beast here; its name is Zheng.

山海經·西山經
猙圖, 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》“猙图”，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

章莪之山，有獸焉，其狀如赤豹，五尾一角，其音如擊石，其名如猙。
There is a beast here shaped like a crimson leopard with five tails and a single horn, its sound like striking stone, named Zheng.

山海經·西山經 · 山海經·西山經 · Wikisource

章莪之山，有獸焉，其狀如赤豹，五尾一角，其音如擊石，其名如猙。
There is a beast here shaped like a crimson leopard with five tails and a single horn, its sound like striking stone, named Zheng.

Comparing the Books典籍对比

The Classic of the Western Mountains portrays the Zheng as an apex carnivore of Mount Zhang'e whose five tails, forehead horn, and stone-clattering roar dominate the barren western ranges.

The story来历与故事

A breathtaking predator of desolate western crags: sculpted with the agile sinew of a flame-red leopard, a solitary piercing horn, and five serpentine tails that whip like banners in the gale. Roaring with a metallic resonance like flint struck against granite, its presence rules the barren heights of Mount Zhang'e.

The Five-Tailed Monarch of Mount Zhang'e章莪之山与五尾一角

In the Classic of the Western Mountains, the Shan Hai Jing recounts that two hun《山海经·西山经》记载，又西二百八十里曰章莪之山，无草木，多瑶碧，所为甚怪。猛兽

In the Classic of the Western Mountains, the Shan Hai Jing recounts that two hundred and eighty li westward lies Mount Zhang'e, a peak without a single blade of grass or tree, but overflowing with lustrous jade and jasper. Upon this severe mountain roams the Zheng, an astonishing feline shaped like a crimson leopard.

The beast's vocalization is extraordinary: 'its sound is like striking stones' ('yin ru ji shi'). Rather than a guttural mammalian roar, the Zheng emits a resonant percussive crack that echoes like boulders crashing together down a canyon, sending tremors through the mineral veins of the western mountains.

Martial Ferocity in Chinese Iconography赤豹五尾与勇武图像流变

The distinctive silhouette of the Zheng—five tails sweeping behind a horned feli狰五尾一角、赤豹之躯的鲜明外形，在华夏冷兵器时代常被军中名将视作勇武精悍的武勇象

The distinctive silhouette of the Zheng—five tails sweeping behind a horned feline—became a recurring emblem of formidable speed and martial supremacy. Early military treatises frequently invoked the name of Zheng to characterize vanguard divisions renowned for crushing enemy formations.

In contemporary gaming, digital concept art, and high fantasy animation, Zheng remains one of the most beloved and celebrated beasts from the Shan Hai Jing, praised for its fiery aesthetic and imposing five-tailed battle stance.

Record档案

Record Card档案卡

TypeFierce Beast (five-tailed horned crimson leopard)
Also known asFive-Tailed Horned Leopard; Stone-Striking Beast
Earliest sourceShan Hai Jing 山海經 (Classic of the Western Mountains)
HabitatDwells upon Mount Zhang'e, a barren peak abounding in jade and jasper
SymbolismEmbodiment of untamed mineral fury and predatory majesty
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 JingMulti-tailed多尾

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Zheng in Chinese mythology?

The Zheng is a ferocious beast from the Shan Hai Jing resembling a red leopard with five tails and a single horn. It roars with a sound like striking stones.

Where does the Zheng live?

According to the Shan Hai Jing, the Zheng lives on Mount Zhang'e, a mountain completely devoid of vegetation but rich in precious jade and jasper.

What does its roar sound like?

The classics record that the roar of the Zheng sounds like 'striking stones' ('ji shi'), producing a sharp percussive clatter.

One more?再看一只？

Draw another creature随机抽一只怪