TigerOrigin

In traditional Chinese culture, the correspondence between “Yin” and “Tiger” extends beyond the twelve zodiac animals into personal names, literature, and other fields. The most famous example is the celebrated Ming-dynasty painter and calligrapher Tang Yin (唐寅)—courtesy name Bohu (伯虎), also Ziwei (子畏). A personal name and courtesy name traditionally share related meanings: “Yin” corresponds to “Tiger,” while “Bohu” expresses the same association through his courtesy name. Tang Yin’s personal and courtesy names thus complement one another, offering a classic example of “Yin-Tiger” culture in literati naming traditions.

Yin hour runs from 3:00 to 5:00 a.m. It is the threshold between night and day, when the sky is not yet fully light and the first glimmer of dawn begins to appear. Through long observation, the ancients found that tigers often emerged at this time. After lying concealed through the night, tigers became most active during Yin hour, beginning to roam in search of food; at this time they were at their most energetic and fiercest in the hunt. This habit corresponded perfectly in time with the natural pattern represented by Yin hour—“Yang qi rising and the myriad things preparing to awaken”—and thus “Yin” became bound to the “Tiger.”

In ancient Chinese Yin-Yang and Five Phases theory, the Tiger belongs among the Yang beasts. The *Hou Hanshu · Liyi Zhi* (《后汉书·礼仪志》) records: “虎者，百兽之长，主火”—the Tiger represents Yang, the sun, and fire. The earthly branch “Yin” corresponds to Wood among the Five Phases, while the hidden stems within Yin Wood include Jia Wood, Bing Fire, and Wu Earth. The Tiger’s ferocity, strength, and invincible majesty are concentrated manifestations of Yang qi. Yin month, the first lunar month, marks the beginning of spring, when all things revive, plants sprout, and trees begin to bud—the Tiger’s vigorous Yang nature echoes the burgeoning force of life in Yin month.

Wang Chong of the Eastern Han explicitly recorded in the *Lunheng · Wushi Pian* (《论衡·物势篇》): “寅，木也，其禽虎也。” This shows that as early as the Eastern Han period, the pairing of “Yin” and the Tiger had already received a classical formulation.

Moreover, within the ancient Chinese system of the Four Symbols, or Four Divine Creatures, the Tiger stands alongside the Dragon, Phoenix, and Tortoise as one of the four great sacred beasts. Among them, the White Tiger guards the West, belongs to Metal, and presides over warfare, killing, and military affairs. In the directional correspondences of the twelve earthly branches, “Yin” corresponds to a direction east of northeast; as the “king of beasts” and “divine guardian of the West,” the Tiger’s majestic and forceful character complements the meaning of “Yang being born” embodied by Yin. After the Han dynasty, the White Tiger became firmly established as the king of beasts and the sacred guardian of the West.

In 1975, the *Daozhe* section of the bamboo-slip *Rishu* (《日书·盗者》), unearthed from Qin Tomb No. 11 at Shuihudi in Yunmeng County, Hubei, revealed pairings associated with the twelve zodiac animals. The tomb dates to the era of Qin Shi Huang, in the third century BCE. The *Rishu* explicitly records: “子鼠、丑牛、寅虎、卯兔……”—and the pairing of “Yin” with the Tiger is identical to that used today.

The same discovery appears among the Qin bamboo slips unearthed at Fangmatan in Tianshui, Gansu. Version A of the Fangmatan Qin-slip *Rishu* likewise records the “Yin-Tiger” pairing. The same association also appears in the Han bamboo-slip *Rishu* from Kongjiapo in Suizhou, Hubei. Together, these discoveries demonstrate that by at least the Warring States and Qin periods, in the third century BCE, the pairing of “Yin” and the Tiger had already circulated widely and become established across different regions of China.

The noted scholar Li Ling writes in *Shi'er Shengxiao Zhongguo Nian* (《十二生肖中国年》): “十二生肖，以虎配寅，与兔相邻。虎的辰位相当夏历正月，也是一年的开端。” The three versions of the *Rishu* from Fangmatan, Shuihudi, and Kongjiapo are entirely consistent in this pairing, showing that the “Yin-Tiger” association had already become fixed by the Qin period.

The earliest transmitted text to record the same twelve zodiac animals used today is Wang Chong’s Eastern Han *Lunheng* (《论衡》). In the *Wushi Pian* (《物势篇》), Wang Chong explicitly records: “寅，木也，其禽虎也。” He also states: “寅，虎也。” This shows that by the Eastern Han period, in the first century CE, the Tiger’s place within the twelve-animal zodiac system had become completely fixed. Wang Chong records all twelve animals in the *Lunheng*, and the pairing between “Yin” and the Tiger is already identical to the modern system, marking the final standardization of the twelve-animal zodiac during the Eastern Han period.

The twelve zodiac figurines, also known as divine figurines of the Twelve Branches, were distinctive burial objects in ancient Chinese funerary culture. The ancients associated the twelve zodiac animals with individual destiny and deified them as figurines arranged within tombs according to specific directions, where they were believed to guard the tomb, ward off evil, and protect the spirit of the deceased. By the Tang dynasty, sancai-glazed zodiac Tiger figurines with tiger heads and human bodies had already appeared in tombs. One Tang sancai Tiger zodiac figurine, measuring 17 centimeters in height, was collected in Pingcheng Township, Yongdeng County, Gansu.

The Tang-dynasty *Tang Huiyao* (《唐会要》) records ritual regulations governing the use of zodiac figurines as burial objects: “三品以上明器九十事，四神十二时在内……五品以上明器六十事，四神十二时在内……” This demonstrates that by the Tang dynasty a formal system for burying zodiac figurines had already developed. As an important component of the set, the Tiger figurine was generally positioned toward the east of northeast, corresponding to Yin in the directional system of the twelve earthly branches.

The Tiger-head bronze of the Old Summer Palace formed part of the hydraulic clock system at Haiyantang, designed under the direction of the Italian missionary Giuseppe Castiglione and supervised by the French missionary Michel Benoist during the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty, around 1750. Twelve statues with animal heads and human bodies were arranged in two diverging rows beside the fountain pool before Haiyantang. At each traditional two-hour period, the corresponding animal head spouted water from its mouth to mark the time. During Yin hour, from 3:00 to 5:00 a.m., the Tiger-head bronze projected a column of water from its mouth. In 1860, Anglo-French forces burned the Old Summer Palace, and the twelve zodiac bronzes were looted and dispersed overseas. In recent years, the Tiger head and other bronzes have successively returned to China.

Shell-mosaic Dragon and Tiger from Xishuipo, Puyang, Henan (approximately 6,500 years ago): Unearthed in 1987, the figures of a dragon and tiger were arranged from freshwater shells. This is currently the earliest tiger image discovered in Chinese archaeology, demonstrating that both the Dragon and the Tiger were sacred beings worshipped by people in ancient times.

Animal-mask motifs on Liangzhu culture jade cong (approximately 5,300–4,300 years ago): In the “divine figure and animal-mask image” found on Liangzhu jade cong, the fierce beast ridden by the divine figure is considered by many scholars to be a tiger.

Shang-dynasty stone chime with tiger motif: Unearthed from the great tomb at Wuguancun in Anyang, Henan, and now held by the National Museum of China. The stone chime bears an exquisitely carved tiger motif and constitutes important material evidence of Shang-dynasty tiger worship.

Shang-dynasty bronze tiger with crouching bird and twin tails: Unearthed at the Dayangzhou site in Xingan County, Jiangxi, and now held by the Jiangxi Provincial Museum. Measuring more than 50 centimeters in length, this bronze tiger crouches on all four legs, poised to spring. Its sharp teeth, bulging eyes, and body covered in cloud-and-thunder patterns intensify its fierce presence. The two long tails behind the tiger lend it a distinctive sense of mystery. It is believed to have served as the totem of a small Shang-period polity.

Western Zhou Tiger Zun: Reportedly unearthed at Doujitai in Baoji, Shaanxi, and now held by the Freer Gallery of Art in the United States. The Tiger Zun is a Western Zhou bronze ritual vessel modeled in the form of a tiger.

Western Zhou bronze ritual vessel Huying (虎鎣): A major Western Zhou bronze that once belonged to the Qing imperial collection at the Old Summer Palace. During the catastrophes suffered by the Chinese nation and its cultural heritage in modern times, it was carried abroad; after more than a century overseas, it returned to China in 2018 and entered the collection of the National Museum of China. On one shoulder is a tubular spout modeled as a crouching tiger, while the opposite side bears a dragon-head handle. The vessel is distinctive in form and exquisitely crafted.

Du Tiger Tally (杜虎符), Qin period: Unearthed in 1975 in the southern suburbs of Xi’an, Shaanxi. “Du” refers to Du County of the Qin state. The tiger tally was one of the most important credentials for mobilizing troops in ancient China—a military tally shaped like a tiger. The use of the tiger form naturally expressed the hope that an army would be as unstoppable as a tiger. The Du Tiger Tally bears forty characters of gold-inlaid inscription. In essence, the tally was divided into left and right halves: the ruler held the right half, while the military commander of Du held the left. To mobilize more than fifty armored soldiers, the two halves had to be matched before troops could be dispatched. In an emergency signaled by beacon fires, however, troops could be deployed without matching the tallies.

Tiger tallies were generally hollow cast-bronze objects made in two matching halves with interlocking male-and-female edges. The military commander retained the left half, while the emperor kept the right. To take effect, the two halves had to fit together perfectly—this is precisely the origin of the modern Chinese word “符合”. The tiger tally signified military authority—to see the tally was to see the sovereign. According to tradition, the tiger tally was invented by Jiang Ziya of the Western Zhou. Tiger tallies became widespread during the Qin and Han periods, and the most famous story associated with them is “Lord Xinling Steals the Tally to Save Zhao,” recorded in Sima Qian’s *Shiji* (《史记》). In 1942, Guo Moruo drew upon this story to write the play *Hufu* (《虎符》), inspiring patriotic resistance among the Chinese people during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.

Warring States tiger-devouring-deer vessel stand: Unearthed from the tomb of the King of Zhongshan at Pingshan, Hebei, and now held by the Hebei Museum. The stand takes the form of a fierce tiger devouring a deer, creating a striking contrast between movement and stillness, strength and weakness.

Warring States–Qin belt buckle with tiger-and-boar combat motif: Unearthed from Tomb No. 2 at Xigoupan in Jungar Banner, Inner Mongolia, and now held by the Inner Mongolia Museum.

Stone Tiger at Huo Qubing’s Tomb: Huo Qubing’s tomb is located in Xingping, Shaanxi. After Huo Qubing died suddenly, Emperor Wu of Han granted him burial beside the Maoling Mausoleum and had stone horses, oxen, tigers, bears, wild boars, and other sculptures placed before his tomb. The crouching stone tiger is solid and powerful, with the natural rises and depressions of the stone itself forming its strong skeleton and full musculature. Most of these sculptures follow the inherent shape of the stone, with only limited carving and deliberate preservation of the material’s simple, natural appearance, giving them a monumental and vigorous presence.

White Tiger eave tile, Han dynasty: Eave tiles, also known as “筒瓦头”, primarily served to prevent and drain water and protect the wooden framework of buildings. Han-dynasty eave tiles were exquisitely crafted and richly decorated, representing the highest level in the development of eave-tile art. Among them, the Four Symbols eave tiles are the most representative—the White Tiger tile embodies the divine guardian of the West.

Gilt-bronze Tiger mat weight, Han dynasty: Now held by the Shaanxi History Museum. Before elevated furniture was introduced into China, people commonly sat on floor mats. Because mats could easily curl at the edges and shift when people stood up, mat weights came into use. This example depicts a reclining tiger and was also believed to possess the function of warding off evil.

Bronze Ox-and-Tiger Table, Warring States to Han period: Unearthed in Yunnan, it was a “table” used by the people of the ancient Dian kingdom to hold sacrificial offerings. Its design depicts a fierce tiger attacking an ox—the principal form is a powerful ox, while a tiger crouches at its rear, its four sharp claws gripping the ox’s hind legs firmly.

Myths and legends surrounding the Tiger are numerous and vividly told. From “the Tiger replacing the Lion” to “the character ‘王’ being inscribed on its forehead,” from the divine White Tiger to the Tiger guarding the four quarters, its mythological image spans creation, warfare, political authority, folk belief, and many other domains.

The character “虎” (Tiger) is one of the oldest and most vivid pictographs in Chinese writing. It already appears in Shang-dynasty oracle-bone inscriptions, where it depicts the form of a tiger—head raised, tail downward, body patterned, mouth wide open, and sharp claws spread apart. The image is remarkably vivid and lifelike. Some oracle-bone forms of “虎” are so realistic that they are almost simple line drawings of a fierce tiger.

By the Western Zhou period, the form of “虎” in bronze inscriptions remained closely related to its oracle-bone predecessor, though with slight variations—the body was simplified into a single line. In Qin small-seal script, the character became increasingly abstract and linear. By the Han dynasty, clerical script further flattened and conventionalized the form: the seal-script lines representing the tiger’s head and body became “虍”, the tiger radical, while the human-like form representing its legs was written as “儿”. After the Northern and Southern Dynasties, regular script became standardized, and the form of “虎” became essentially identical to the modern character.

Xu Shen explained the character in the “Tiger” section of Volume Five of the Eastern Han *Shuowen Jiezi* (《说文解字》): “虎，山兽之君。从虍，虎足像人足。象形。凡虎之属皆从虎。” Xu Shen’s meaning is that the tiger is the ruler among the beasts of the mountains; the character uses “虍” as its semantic component, while the tiger’s feet somewhat resemble human feet. It is a pictograph, and characters associated with the tiger may use “虎” as their semantic component.

In traditional Chinese culture, the Tiger and Dragon are often named together and placed side by side. The *Yijing · Qian* (《易·乾》) records: “云从龙，风从虎”. The Tiger, “king of all beasts,” and the Dragon, symbol of the Chinese nation, possess equally important symbolic positions within Chinese culture. When ancient emperors traveled, there would invariably be “虎旗龙辇、激耀百里”; the military tents occupied by commanders were called “虎帐”; courageous and battle-hardened generals were praised as “虎将”; and the *Zhouyi* (《周易》) uses “虎变” as a metaphor for the ruler’s transformation and flourishing virtue. Through its pairing with the Dragon, the Tiger acquired a sacred status in Chinese culture second only to that of the Dragon. The Tiger is king of all beasts upon the earth, while the Dragon is chief of all scaled creatures in Heaven—one Yin and one Yang, one of Heaven and one of Earth, one hard and one yielding, together forming one of the most fundamental symbols of power in the traditional Chinese cosmological vision.

Within the ancient Chinese system of the Four Symbols, or Four Spirits, the White Tiger is one of the four great sacred beasts, alongside the Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise. The Azure Dragon guards the East, corresponding to spring and Wood; the Vermilion Bird guards the South, corresponding to summer and Fire; the White Tiger guards the West, corresponding to autumn and Metal; and the Black Tortoise guards the North, corresponding to winter and Water. Among the Four Spirits, the White Tiger represents the West, autumn, Metal, killing and conquest, and warfare. Because of the Tiger’s ferocity and fighting strength, the White Tiger was endowed with a divine nature associated with “presiding over killing and conquest” and became a symbol of ancient military authority. After the Han dynasty, the White Tiger became firmly established as both the king of beasts and the divine guardian of the West. Within the Daoist system, it was incorporated among the Four Spirits as a sacred beast capable of warding off evil and offering protection.

The *Shanhaijing* (《山海经》) records several extraordinary tiger-like beings, reflecting the tiger worship of ancient peoples:

Qiongqi (穷奇): The *Shanhaijing · Hainei Beijing* (《山海经·海内北经》) records: “穷奇状如虎，有翼。” Qiongqi is a tiger-shaped divine beast with wings and the ability to fly.

Tiger-shaped mountain gods: The *Shanhaijing* repeatedly describes mountain gods in tiger form or with tiger heads and human bodies. The *Shanhaijing · Zhongci Jiujing* (《山海经·中次九经》), for example, records: “其神状皆虎身而牛尾。” These tiger-shaped mountain gods emerged from the fusion of ancient mountain worship and tiger totemism.

These divine Tiger images demonstrate that by the pre-Qin period, the Tiger had already been endowed with supernatural divinity. It was not merely a fierce beast of the mortal realm, but also a spiritual creature connecting Heaven and the human world.

The Tiger had many alternative names and elegant appellations in ancient China, each carrying rich cultural information:

於菟 (wū tú): During the Spring and Autumn period, the state of Chu called the Tiger “於菟.” Lu Xun wrote in his poem *Da Ke Qiao* (《答客诮》): “知否兴风狂啸者，回眸时看小於菟”—here, “於菟” means the Tiger.

山君: Zhu Mouwei of the Ming dynasty wrote in the *Huyuan* (《虎苑》): “虎为兽长，亦曰山君。” “山君,” literally “lord of the mountains,” treats the Tiger as ruler of the mountain forests.

李父、李耳: Yang Xiong of the Western Han records in the *Fangyan* (《方言》): “虎，陈魏宋楚之间或谓之李父，江淮南楚之间谓之李耳，或谓之于於菟。”

大虫: Lu You of the Song dynasty records a poem by a Daoist of Mount Hua in the *Laoxue'an Biji* (《老学庵笔记》): “北蕃群犬窥篱落，惊起南朝老大虫。” “大虫” was a common Tang- and Song-period name for the Tiger. In *Shuihu Zhuan* (《水浒传》), the tiger fought by Wu Song is likewise called a “吊睛白额大虫.”

The existence of these numerous names demonstrates the profound influence of the Tiger in ancient Chinese society.

In ancient times, the Tiger was regarded as an embodiment of justice, and people therefore painted tigers on doors. This not only expressed affection for the animal but also served to drive away ghosts and evil spirits, eventually developing into door-god paintings. In folk culture, people fashioned tiger-head hats, tiger-head shoes, and other objects modeled on the Tiger to pray for children’s good fortune and protection from evil. In folk handicrafts, the Tiger’s image was transformed from fierce and imposing into lively and endearing, emphasizing its auspicious function of warding off evil and safeguarding peace. The Tiger’s image in Chinese culture thus evolved from ferocity to familiarity: it first appeared as a tribal totem, later became a symbol of military authority and fighting power, and ultimately transformed within folk culture into an auspicious emblem that protects children and wards off evil and disaster.

As zodiac culture spread, it absorbed local cultural elements in different countries, and the image of the Tiger developed distinct expressions across East Asia.

This is the most widely circulated legend explaining why the Tiger was included among the twelve zodiac animals.

Classic Version —— The Lion Is Removed

According to legend, in ancient times the Lion originally belonged among the twelve zodiac animals, while the Tiger did not. The Lion, however, was naturally ferocious and had an extremely poor reputation. The Jade Emperor had a very unfavorable impression of it and decided to remove it from the zodiac. Yet after removing the Lion, another animal was needed that could command and overawe the mountain forests. The Jade Emperor then thought of the palace guardian of the Celestial Court—the Tiger. Hearing that the Tiger was incomparably brave and powerful, he issued a decree summoning it to Heaven to serve as a guardian before the celestial palace.

The Tiger Descends to Subdue the Beasts

After being summoned to the Celestial Court, the Tiger defeated every one of the Jade Emperor’s animal guards in combat. Impressed by its unmatched courage, the Jade Emperor kept the Tiger in Heaven as his guardian. Yet once the Tiger had left the forests, the birds and beasts of the human world, no longer restrained, began running wild and harming the people. With the beasts out of control and bringing repeated calamities upon the human realm, the Earth God reported the situation to Heaven and asked the Jade Emperor to send a divine beast to subdue them. Remembering that the Tiger had once been king of the mountains, the Jade Emperor sent it back to the mortal world. The Tiger gladly accepted the command but made one request: each time it won a battle, one merit should be recorded for it. For the sake of peace in the human world, the Jade Emperor agreed.

Three Victories and the Origin of the Character “王”

After returning to the forests, the Tiger relied on its courage and strength to defeat, one after another, the three most formidable animals of the time—the Lion, Bear, and Horse. Through these three battles, it quickly subdued the animals leading the unrest, and order returned to the forest. When the Tiger returned to Heaven, the Jade Emperor marked its three victories by inscribing three horizontal lines on its forehead, recording its three great achievements. Later, the human world was troubled again by a Turtle Monster from the Eastern Sea. The Tiger descended once more and defeated the monster. Delighted, the Jade Emperor added a single vertical stroke through the three horizontal lines on the Tiger’s forehead. From then on, the Tiger bore the imposing character “王” (king) upon its brow—and thus became the king of all beasts. Even today, the naturally occurring pattern resembling the character “王” can still be seen on a tiger’s forehead.

The Tiger Officially Enters the Zodiac

The Jade Emperor ultimately stripped the Lion of its zodiac title and banished it to the depths of distant grasslands. The Tiger formally replaced the Lion, becoming the third of the twelve zodiac animals, and was commanded to remain in the human world and rule over the beasts.

Viewed across the origins and evolution of the Tiger zodiac, one striking theme runs throughout: the Tiger’s place as the third of the twelve zodiac animals rests upon its incomparable Yang vigor and kingly majesty. Characters and texts tell us that because tigers descend from the mountains to hunt during Yin hour, and because the Tiger is a “Yang beast” associated with Wood, its nature corresponds closely in spirit and temperament to the earthly branch “Yin” and its force of “breaking through the earth.” The Qin bamboo-slip *Rishu* and the Eastern Han *Lunheng* had already fixed the “Yin-Tiger” pairing within an established zodiac system, while Tang-dynasty zodiac figurines transformed it into a visible embodiment of belief. Zooarchaeology further reveals that from the Neolithic period onward, the Tiger was an important object of totemic worship among the peoples of China—from the shell-mosaic Dragon and Tiger at Xishuipo in Puyang to the animal-mask motifs on Liangzhu jade cong, the Tiger’s presence has never disappeared.

Yet what truly gives the Tiger zodiac its soul is the vast world of myths and legends surrounding it. In these narratives born among the people, the Tiger is the zodiac hero who replaces the Lion and earns the “王” marking on its forehead through three victorious battles; the auspicious divine beast placed alongside the Dragon; the White Tiger of the Four Spirits guarding the West; and the winged Qiongqi of the *Shanhaijing*. In folk belief, the Tiger transforms again—from the fearsome king of beasts into an auspicious symbol that protects children and wards off evil and disaster. Tiger-head hats, tiger-head shoes, and door-god paintings all preserve this familiar and protective image of the Tiger.

When the Tiger zodiac traveled beyond the Central Plains to Japan, Vietnam, and the Korean Peninsula, it acquired new forms within different cultures—the artistic Tiger of Japan, the ruler of the mountain forests in Vietnam, and the symbol of national spirit on the Korean Peninsula—while always retaining its honored position as the third of the twelve zodiac animals. This perhaps suggests that the vitality of a cultural symbol lies not in whether it remains “pure,” but in whether it possesses sufficient capacity to embrace new meanings. The Tiger zodiac is precisely such a symbol. Emerging from the mountain forests, ruling over all beasts beneath the “王” upon its brow, it has carved one of the most powerful marks upon the spiritual landscape of Chinese civilization.

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