Four imaginary sacred animals regarded in China as guardian deities of the four directions from the Han dynasty on. The blue dragon Seiryū (Ch. Qinglong) is to the east, the red peacock Suzaku (Zhuque) to the south, the white tiger Byakko (Baihu) to the west and the black tortoise Genbu (Xuanhu) to the north. They were introduced to Japan in ancient times and have been found on murals at the Takamatsuzuka and Kitora mounded tombs in Nara prefecture. A method of gardening based on the four god theory is described in Sakuteiki.
Japanese Garden Dictionary: A Glossary for Japanese Gardens and Their History
(C) 2010 by Ono Kenkichi and Walter Edwards. All rights reserved.
