Vermilion Bird (Chinese constellation)

The Vermilion bird is one of the Four Symbols

Four Symbols (Chinese constellation)

The Four Symbols are four mythological creatures in the Chinese constellations. They are:*Azure Dragon of the East *Vermilion Bird of the South *White Tiger of the West *Black Tortoise of the North...

of the Chinese constellations. According to Wu Xing, the Taoist five-elemental system, it represents the fire

Fire

Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....

-element, the direction south

South

South is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.South is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to east and west.By convention, the bottom side of a map is south....

, and the season summer correspondingly. Thus it is sometimes called the Vermilion bird of the South (南方朱雀, Nán Fāng Zhū Què). It is known as Zhuque in Chinese, Suzaku in Japanese, Jujak in Korean and Chu Tước in Vietnamese. It is often mistaken for the Fenghuang

Fenghuang

Fenghuang are mythological birds of East Asia that reign over all other birds. The males are called Feng and the females Huang. In modern times, however, such a distinction of gender is often no longer made and the Feng and Huang are blurred into a single feminine entity so that the bird can be...

due to similarities in appearance, but the two are different creatures. The Fenghuang (similar to the phoenix

Phoenix (mythology)

The phoenix or phenix is a mythical sacred firebird that can be found in the mythologies of the Arabian, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Chinese, Indian and Phoenicians....

in western mythologies) are legendary ruler of birds associated with the Chinese Empress in the same way the dragon is associated with the Emperor, while the Vermilion Bird is a mythological spirit creature of the Chinese constellations.

The Seven Mansions of the Vermilion Bird

As the other three Symbols, there are seven "mansions", or positions, of the moon

Moon

The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...

within Vermilion Bird. The names and determinative stars are:

Mansion no.	Name (pinyin Pinyin Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into... )	Translation	Determinative star
22	井 (Jǐng)	Well Well (Chinese constellation) The Well mansion is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the southern mansions of the Vermilion Bird.-Asterisms:...	μ Gem Mu Geminorum Mu Geminorum is a star in the constellation Gemini, approximately 230 light years away from Earth. It has the traditional name Tejat Posterior, which means back foot, because it is the foot of Castor, one of the Gemini twins...
23	鬼 (Guǐ)	Ghost Ghost (Chinese constellation) The Ghost mansion is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the southern mansions of the Vermilion Bird.-Asterisms:...	θ Cnc Theta Cancri Theta Cancri is a binary star in the constellation Cancer, 494 light years from Earth.θ Cancri is classified as an orange K-type giant with an apparent magnitude of +5.33. Since it is near the ecliptic, it can be occulted by the Moon and, very rarely, by planets...
24	柳 (Liǔ)	Willow Willow (Chinese constellation) The Willow mansion is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the southern mansions of the Vermilion Bird.-Asterisms:...	δ Hya Delta Hydrae Delta Hydrae is a Class A1, fourth-magnitude star in the constellation Hydra. Delta Hydrae is a binary double star, located about 180 light-years from Earth.-Name and etymology:...
25	星 (Xīng)	Star Star (Chinese constellation) The Star mansion is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the southern mansions of the Vermilion Bird.- Asterisms :...	α Hya Alphard Alphard is the brightest star in the constellation Hydra. The name Alphard is from the Arabic الفرد , "the solitary one", there being no other bright stars near it. It was also known as the "backbone of the Serpent" to the Arabs. In ancient China it formed part of an asterism called the "red bird"...
26	張 (Zhāng)	Extended Net Extended Net (Chinese constellation) The Extended Net mansion is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the southern mansions of the Vermilion Bird.-Asterisms:...	υ¹ Hya Upsilon1 Hydrae Upsilon1 Hydrae is a yellow giant star in the constellation of Hydra. The star is one of Okayama Planet Search's main target for planet search and has turned out to host a substellar companion.-Substellar companion:...
27	翼 (Yì)	Wings Wings (Chinese constellation) The Wings mansion is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the southern mansions of the Vermilion Bird.- Asterisms :...	α Crt Alpha Crateris Alpha Crateris is a star in the constellation Crater. It has the traditional name Alkes, from the Arabic الكاس alkās or الكأس alka's "the cup"....
28	軫 (Zhěn)	Chariot Chariot (Chinese constellation) The Chariot mansion is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the southern mansions of the Vermilion Bird.-Asterisms:...	γ Crv Gamma Corvi Gamma Corvi is the brightest star in the constellation Corvus. Its traditional name is Gienah, which it shares with Epsilon Cygni...

Nature of the symbol

The Vermilion bird is an elegant and noble bird in both appearance and behavior, it is very selective in what it eats and where it perches, with its feathers in many different hues of reddish orange.

Stars

Four Symbols	Mansion (Chinese name)	Romanization	Translation	Asterisms (Chinese name)	Romanization	Translation	Western star name	Chinese star name	Romanization	Translation
Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀)	鬼	Guǐ	Ghost Ghost (Chinese constellation) The Ghost mansion is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the southern mansions of the Vermilion Bird.-Asterisms:...	外廚	Wàichú	Outer Kitchen
							2 Hya	外廚一	Wàichúyī	1st star
							3 Hya / HD 74395	外廚二	Wàichúèr	2nd star
							14 Hya	外廚三	Wàichúsān	3rd star
	柳	Liǔ	Willow Willow (Chinese constellation) The Willow mansion is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the southern mansions of the Vermilion Bird.-Asterisms:...	柳	Liǔ	Willow
							δ Hya Delta Hydrae Delta Hydrae is a Class A1, fourth-magnitude star in the constellation Hydra. Delta Hydrae is a binary double star, located about 180 light-years from Earth.-Name and etymology:...
								柳宿一	Liǔsùyī	1st star
								柳宿距星	Liǔsujùxīng	Separated star
								柳宿西头第三星	Liǔsuxītoudìsānxīng	3rd star in the upper west
								玉井西北星	Yùjǐngxīběixīng	Star in northwest of Jade Well Three Stars (Chinese constellation) The Three Stars mansion is one of the twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the western mansions of the White Tiger. This collection of seven bright stars is visible during winter in the Northern Hemisphere .- Asterisms :... constellation
								午	Wǔ	The thong
								鹑火星	Chúnhuǒxīng	The phoenix
							σ Hya Sigma Hydrae Sigma Hydrae is the 4th-magnitude star in the constellation Hydra. Sigma Hydrae belongs to spectral class K1+III and has apparent magnitude +4.44...	柳宿二	Liǔsùèr	2nd star
							η Hya	柳宿三	Liǔsùsān	3rd star
							ρ Hya	柳宿四	Liǔsùsì	4th star
							ε Hya Epsilon Hydrae Epsilon Hydrae is a Class G5, third-magnitude star in the constellation Hydra. Epsilon Hydrae is a binary star with components of magnitudes 3.3 and 6.8, separated by 2.7 arcseconds...	柳宿五	Liǔsùwǔ	5th star
							ζ Hya Zeta Hydrae Zeta Hydrae is a Class G9, third-magnitude star in the constellation Hydra. Zeta Hydrae is a yellow giant star located about 150 light-years from Earth.-Name and etymology:...	柳宿六	Liǔsùliù	6th star
							ω Hya	柳宿七	Liǔsùqī	7th star
							θ Hya	柳宿八	Liǔsùbā	8th star
	星	Xīng	Star Star (Chinese constellation) The Star mansion is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the southern mansions of the Vermilion Bird.- Asterisms :...	星	Xīng	Star
							α Hya Alphard Alphard is the brightest star in the constellation Hydra. The name Alphard is from the Arabic الفرد , "the solitary one", there being no other bright stars near it. It was also known as the "backbone of the Serpent" to the Arabs. In ancient China it formed part of an asterism called the "red bird"...
								星宿一	Xīngsùyī	1st star
								星宿距星	Xīngsùjùxīng	Separated star
								星宿中央大星	Xīngsuzhōngyāngdàxīng	Big star in the center
							τ¹ Hya Tau Hydrae The Bayer designation Tau Hydrae is shared by two star systems, τ¹ Hydrae and τ² Hydrae, in the constellation Hydra...	星宿二	Xīngsùèr	2nd star
							τ² Hya Tau Hydrae The Bayer designation Tau Hydrae is shared by two star systems, τ¹ Hydrae and τ² Hydrae, in the constellation Hydra...	星宿三	Xīngsùsān	3rd star
							ι Hya	星宿四	Xīngsùsì	4th star
							26 Hya	星宿五	Xīngsùwǔ	5th star
							27 Hya 27 Hydrae 27 Hydrae is an evolved yellow giant star in the constellation of Hydra. The star is suspected to host a low-mass companion.-Substellar companion:...	星宿六	Xīngsùliù	6th star
							HD 82477 & HD 82428	星宿七	Xīngsùqī	7th star
	張	Zhāng	Extended Net Extended Net (Chinese constellation) The Extended Net mansion is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the southern mansions of the Vermilion Bird.-Asterisms:...	張	Zhāng	Extended Net
							υ¹ Hya Upsilon1 Hydrae Upsilon1 Hydrae is a yellow giant star in the constellation of Hydra. The star is one of Okayama Planet Search's main target for planet search and has turned out to host a substellar companion.-Substellar companion:...	張宿一	Zhāngsùyī	1st star
							λ Hya	張宿二	Zhāngsùèr	2nd star
							μ Hya	張宿三	Zhāngsùsān	3rd star
							HD 87344	張宿四	Zhāngsùsì	4th star
							κ Hya	張宿五	Zhāngsùwǔ	5th star
							φ Hya	張宿六	Zhāngsùliù	6th star
	翼	Yì	Wings Wings (Chinese constellation) The Wings mansion is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the southern mansions of the Vermilion Bird.- Asterisms :...	翼	Yì	Wings
							ν Hya Nu Hydrae Nu Hydrae is a Class K2, third-magnitude star in the constellation Hydra. Nu Hydrae is an orange giant star located about 140 light-years from Earth....	翼宿五	Yìsùwǔ	5th star
							HD 100307	翼宿十八	Yìsùshíbā	18th star
							HD 96819	翼宿十九	Yìsùshíjiǔ	19th star
							χ¹ Hya	翼宿二十	Yìsùèrshí	20th star
							HD 102620	翼宿二十一	Yìsùèrshíyī	21st star
							HD 103462	翼宿二十二	Yìsùèrshíèr	22rd star
	軫	Zhěn	Chariot Chariot (Chinese constellation) The Chariot mansion is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the southern mansions of the Vermilion Bird.-Asterisms:...	青丘	Qīngqiū	Green Hill
							β Hya Beta Hydrae Beta Hydrae is a double star in the constellation of Hydra. Its overall apparent visual magnitude varies by 0.04 magnitudes with a period of 2.344 days, and is approximately 4.27 at maximum brightness. The brighter star in the double is a giant Bp star which has been classified as an...
								青丘一	Qīngqiūyī	1st star
								土公西星	Tǔgōngxīxīng	Star in the west of Official for Earthworks and Buildings Wall (Chinese constellation) The Wall mansion is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the northern mansions of the Black Tortoise.- Asterisms :... constellation
							HD 103596	青丘二	Qīngqiūèr	2nd star
							17 Crt	青丘三	Qīngqiūsān	3rd star
							HD 100393	青丘四	Qīngqiūsì	4th star
							ξ Hya Xi Hydrae Xi Hydrae is a third-magnitude star in the constellation Hydra. The star is situated 130 light-years from Earth, and has a radius about 10 times that of the Sun, and a luminosity nearly 60 times as large...	青丘五	Qīngqiūwu	5th star
							ο Hya	青丘七	Qīngqiūqī	7th star
				軍門	Jūnmén	Military Gate	HD 104309	軍門一	Jūnményī	1st star

External links

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