In China, the unicorn was called the qilin - these are the most ancient unicorns in history. Qilini lived in forests in China, but people met them in clearings, on river banks, and sometimes even in palaces.
An ancient Chinese myth tells of the god Pangu, who created heaven and earth out of chaos. He was helped by four animals - a dragon, a phoenix, a turtle and a unicorn. When the work was finished, the unicorn retreated into the dense forest. Since then, the unicorn, which could live up to a thousand years, was known as an animal of good omen. One Chinese legend tells about Emperor Fu Xi, who lived two thousand nine hundred years BC. One day he saw a magical qilin rising from the Yellow River. His back was covered with magical signs, which the emperor tried to copy. These characters later became the basis of Chinese writing.
The magical qilin pulling a flaming chariot is a powerful symbol revered in both ancient and modern Chinese society. This unicorn has the head of a dragon, the body of a deer or horse, and the tail of a lion. Unicorns appeared to many Chinese emperors. They say that the legendary Emperor Huang Di saw a qilin wandering around his palace, and when the powerful ruler died, a unicorn carried his soul to heaven. The qilin was considered a symbol of good luck and appeared in times of peace and prosperity.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru