Zhì

彘Zhi

The man-eating beast of Mount Fuyu from the Shan Hai Jing: shaped like a tiger with an ox tail, barking like a dog and devouring humans.《山海经》记载浮玉山凶兽彘：状如猛虎而牛尾，音如吠犬，生性凶残是食人。

Body身形

Like a tiger体魄雄壮如斑斓猛虎

其狀如虎

Tail长尾

Ox tail身后甩动粗长牛尾

牛尾

Voice叫声

Barks like a dog发声汪汪似狂犬狂吠

其音如吠犬

Peril凶性

Eats humans生性极凶残噬食人类

是食人

Woodblock print from Gujin Tushu Jicheng showing the tiger-bodied beast Zhi pacing aggressively with tufted ox tail, inscribed 'Zhi Tu'其狀如虎Tiger body猛虎体魄其狀如虎Tiger body猛虎体魄牛尾Ox tail粗长牛尾牛尾Ox tail粗长牛尾吠犬Barking jaws如犬狂吠吠犬Barking jaws如犬狂吠食人Predatory claws食人利爪食人Predatory claws食人利爪
有獸焉，其名曰彘

There is a beast here; its name is Zhi.

山海經·南山經
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》“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·南山經 · 山海經·南山經 · Wikisource

浮玉之山，有獸焉，其狀如虎而牛尾，其音如吠犬，其名曰彘，是食人。
There is a beast here shaped like a tiger with an ox tail, its sound like a barking dog, named Zhi; it eats humans.

山海經·南山經 · 山海經·南山經 · Wikisource

浮玉之山，有獸焉，其狀如虎而牛尾，其音如吠犬，其名曰彘，是食人。
There is a beast here shaped like a tiger with an ox tail, its sound like a barking dog, named Zhi; it eats humans.

Comparing the Books典籍对比

The Classic of the Southern Mountains warns of the Zhi on Mount Fuyu: a man-eating terror combining tiger musculature with an ox tail and deceptive canine barking.

The story来历与故事

A notorious man-eating predator of the southern lake country: possessing the thunderous sinew and razor claws of a mountain tiger, counterpointed by a heavy bovine tail. Lurking along the crags of Mount Fuyu, it uses its deceptive dog-like barking to lure unsuspecting travelers into lethal ambushes.

The Predator of Mount Fuyu浮玉之山与食人之兽

In the Classic of the Southern Mountains, the Shan Hai Jing recounts that five h《山海经·南山经》记载，又东五百里曰浮玉之山，北望具区（即太湖），东望诸毗。此山

In the Classic of the Southern Mountains, the Shan Hai Jing recounts that five hundred li east lies Mount Fuyu, looking north across Lake Juqu (ancient Lake Taihu). Within these densely forested ridges dwells the Zhi, an apex carnivore built like a ferocious tiger yet bearing an ox’s tail.

The creature possesses a deceptively modest voice: 'its cry sounds like a barking dog' ('yin ru fei quan'). Travelers walking through unfamiliar woods who heard domestic barking naturally assumed a settlement or shepherd was near, only to step directly into the jaws of this ravenous human-hunter ('shi shi ren').

Ancient Hunting Cautions and Tiger Folklore先秦行旅戒鉴与吴越地理遗韵

Ancient annotators noted the irony of the creature's name: while 'Zhi' (彘) in cl汉晋经师常探讨其得名之异：在古汉语中“彘”本为猪之通称，而浮玉山之“彘”却是虎躯

Ancient annotators noted the irony of the creature's name: while 'Zhi' (彘) in classical Chinese normally designates an ordinary domestic swine, this mythic Zhi was a fierce chimeric carnivore that ate pigs, oxen, and men alike. The name served as a stark reminder that wilderness forms frequently subvert domestic appearances.

As Lake Taihu transformed into China's cultural and agricultural heartland through later dynasties, the terrifying legend of the Zhi receded into literary bestiaries, persisting as a vivid testament to the primordial perils of ancient southern forests.

Record档案

Record Card档案卡

TypeFierce Beast (tiger-bodied man-eater)
Also known asTiger-Bodied Man-Eater; Fuyu Beast
Earliest sourceShan Hai Jing 山海經 (Classic of the Southern Mountains)
PerilAggressive apex carnivore that actively stalks and devours humans
HabitatDwells upon Mount Fuyu overlooking Lake Juqu (Taihu)
Earliest source山海經·南山經
Source books山海經·南山經
Image sourceChen Menglei 陳夢雷 (ed.) · Wikimedia Commons
LicensePublic domain
Fierce BeastsCalamityShan Hai JingBeast-bodied兽身

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Zhi beast in the Shan Hai Jing?

The Zhi is a ferocious predator from the Shan Hai Jing with a tiger body, an ox tail, and a dog-like bark. It is recorded as a man-eater.

Where is the Zhi said to live?

According to the Classic of the Southern Mountains, it lives on Mount Fuyu, which overlooks Lake Juqu (modern Lake Taihu).

Why does a tiger-like beast bark like a dog?

Mythological commentators noted that its dog-like barking functioned as a deceptive acoustic lure, leading forest travelers to let down their guard.

One more?再看一只？

Draw another creature随机抽一只怪