Vermilion Bird facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vermilion Bird
Zhū Què sculpture on the eaves tile
Chinese name
Chinese	朱雀
Literal meaning	Vermilion Peafowl
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zhū Què Wade–Giles Chu1 Ch'üeh4 Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization jyu1 jeuk3 Jyutping zyu1 zoek3 Southern Min Hokkien POJ chu-chhiok
Korean name
Hangul	주작
Hanja	朱雀
Transcriptions Revised Romanization Ju-jak
Japanese name
Kanji	朱雀
Hiragana	すざく or しゅじゃく
Transcriptions Revised Hepburn Suzaku or Shujaku Kunrei-shiki Suzaku or Syuzyaku

The Vermilion Bird is a legendary creature from ancient Chinese stories. It is one of the Four Symbols that represent different directions and seasons in Chinese culture. This bird stands for the element of fire, the south direction, and the season of summer. Sometimes, it is called the Vermilion Bird of the South. In China, it is known as Zhū Què. In Japan, it is called Suzaku, and in Korea, it is known as Jujak.

The color vermilion is a bright red, often called Chinese red. The Vermilion Bird is described as a beautiful red bird that looks like a pheasant. It has feathers in many different colors and is covered in flames. People sometimes confuse it with the Fenghuang, which is also a mythical bird, but they are actually different creatures.

Seven Star Groups of the Vermilion Bird

Just like the other three Symbols, the Vermilion Bird has seven special star groups, or "Mansions," linked to it. These Mansions are like positions where the Moon travels in the sky. Each Mansion has a name and a main star that helps identify it.

What the Symbol Means

The Vermilion Bird on the gates of a Han Dynasty building.

The Vermilion Bird is seen as a very elegant and noble creature. It has feathers in many shades of red. In stories, it is very picky about what it eats and where it chooses to rest. This shows its pure and special nature.

In Popular Culture

The Vermilion Bird, or its Japanese name Suzaku, appears in many games, shows, and movies:

• In the mobile game Puzzle & Dragons, the Vermilion Bird is shown as a beautiful, winged woman with fire powers. She is called "Incarnation of Suzaku, Leilan."
• In the Beyblade series, the Vermilion Bird is known as Dranzer.
• In B-Daman Fireblast, the main character's B-daman toy is named Drive Garuburn. Its special animal is the Vermilion Bird of the South.
• In the Digimon series, a powerful Digimon named Zhuqiaomon is based on the Vermilion Bird.
• In the Fushigi Yugi series, a character named Miaka Yūki becomes the Priestess of Suzaku. The god is usually shown as a bird, but sometimes takes a human-like form with wings.
• In the video game Final Fantasy Type-0, the Vermilion Bird is the name of one of the four powerful Crystals.
• In the game Final Fantasy XIV, Suzaku is one of the special creatures called "auspices."
• In the movie Gamera 3: The Revenge of Iris, some people think the monster Iris might be the Vermilion Bird.
• In the Yu Yu Hakusho series, Suzaku is shown as a human-like leader of a group called The Four Beasts.
• In the anime series Code Geass, a character is named Suzaku Kururugi.
• In the PlayStation 4 game Nioh, there is a guardian spirit phoenix named Suzaku. It can bring players back to life when they are defeated.
• In Tokyo Majin, a character named Marie Claire is linked to the Vermilion Bird.
• In Kemono Friends, the Vermilion Bird and other Chinese Four Symbols are shown as human-like characters.
• In Yami no Matsuei, the Vermillion Bird, called Suzaku, is a summoned spirit.
• In Overwatch's 2018 Chinese New Year event, a character named Mercy has a special costume based on this legendary bird.
• In World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria, the Vermillion bird inspired the creation of Chi-Ji, the Red Crane.
• In Sekiro, a special shield tool called Suzaku’s Lotus Umbrella protects the player from fire damage.

Related pages

• Fenghuang
• Phoenix (mythology)

See also

In Spanish: Suzaku para niños