A pottery tile of the Han Dynasty; depicting hunting and battle scenes containing emblematic figures of the 'five cardinal directions' (the four cardinal directions plus the centre).

The Four Symbols (Chinese: ??; pinyin: S?Xi鄋g) are four mythological creatures in the Chinese constellations. They are the Azure Dragon; of the East; the Vermilion Bird of the South; the White Tiger of the West; and the Black Turtle of the North. Each one of them represents a direction and a season; and each has its own individual characteristics and origins. Symbolically and as part of spiritual and religious belief; they have been culturally important in China; Korea; Vietnam; and Japan Pictures From History Guillaume Jacquet