The tiāngoǔ is a legendary creature from China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

. The tiāngoǔ resembles a black dog or meteor, which is thought to eat the sun during an eclipse

Eclipse

An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when an astronomical object is temporarily obscured, either by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer...

. Tales explain that you must beat dogs and drive them away in order to ward off the tiāngoǔ. The dog god would then spit out the moon and flee back into the heavens.

Battle with Zhangxian

Zhang Xian is the enemy of the tiāngoǔ. It is said that he protects his children from the god with his bow and arrows. He is often depicted aiming at the sky, waiting for the beast to appear.
He is the god of birth and the protector of male children. Many sought for him to give them male offspring and to protect their living children.

Deviations of the Tiāngoǔ

The tengu

Tengu

are a class of supernatural creatures found in Japanese folklore, art, theater, and literature. They are one of the best known yōkai and are sometimes worshipped as Shinto kami...

of japanese

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 folklore was derived from the tiāngoǔ. The tengu

Tengu

are a class of supernatural creatures found in Japanese folklore, art, theater, and literature. They are one of the best known yōkai and are sometimes worshipped as Shinto kami...

is usually depicted as a bird, or man with a long nose and other bird-like characteristics, while the tiāngoǔ is a dog.