The History of Fenghuang and DIY Chinese Phoenix
The Ancient Chinese Phoenix:
The Fenghuang is a mythological creature that you might already know as the Chinese Phoenix. Unlike the Greek Phoenix, this magical bird DOES NOT burst into flames only to be reborn, although it is born out of fire and is immortal like the Greek version.
Some versions of the myth claim the animal has the breast of a goose, the hindquarters of a stag, the neck of a snake, the tail of a fish, the forehead of a fowl, the feathers of a duck, the marks of a dragon, the back of a tortoise, the face of a swallow and finally the beak of a cock. That’s a pretty strange combination of features if you ask me!
The Fenghuang began as two different birds, the male Feng and the female Huang. Overtime the two birds merged into one and represent harmony and everlasting love. During the Zhou dynasty the bird also came to be a symbol of political prosperity. In imperial China, the Fenghuang became a feminine symbol and represented the empress while the masculine dragon represented the emperor.
(Want to learn more about ancient Chinese dragons, also known as Longs? Check out our craft here.)
Archeological records show symbols of the Chinese phoenix go back almost 8000 years! The last the known ceremonial depiction of the Fenghuang is on the grave of Hongwu, the founder of the Ming Dynasty.
Now let’s get crafting!
Directions:
- Print the template.
- Color the template, feel free to add your own drawings to the page. Be creative!
- Glue on the feathers.
If you want to have extra fun, cut out your Fenghuang and glue it to a popsicle stick and make it a puppet. You can also make our Long craft and preform a play with the two crafts!