Fenghuang (mythology)

The Fenghuang's figurehead, modeled after its namesake

The fenghuang (Chinese: 鳳凰; Japanese: ほうおう; Korean: 봉황; Vietnamese: phượng hoàng or phụng hoàng) is a mythological bird species that features in a number of East Asian traditions and folk tales, most prominently in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.

Mythology

Tales about the fenghuang describe them as reigning over all other birds and usually depict them as feminine entities associated with the traditionally masculine Chinese dragon. Although the terms feng and huang were once used to refer to males and females, respectively, a gender distinction is no longer made.

In the Western world, the fenghuang is often equated with the phoenix originating from Greek mythology and referred to as the "Chinese phoenix", although the mythological similarities between the two birds are only superficial.

History

Owing to its cultural significance, many places, works of art, and even people in China have been named after the fenghuang. In 1725, the Zhang Wei Union, an organization founded by the British Assassin Edward Kenway in Macau, named their flagship—a heavily modified junk—the Fenghuang, and equipped it with a fitting figurehead, modeled after the mythological bird.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple