Hue-tsiau

Hue-tsiau (Chinese: 火鳥; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Hué-tsiáu; lit. 'firebird') is a legendary bird in Taiwanese folklore associated with fire. Unlike mythical creatures such as phoenix, it is known for causing fires.

Legend

According to the legend, the hue-tsiau often appears at night, and if it perch on a rooftop, a fire will break out in that house. Only Taoist priests and senior Buddhist monks can see it. If there is a bird's mating call from the roof or a dog inexplicably runs up onto the roof, it may be a sign of the hue-tsiau's presence. In such cases, it is necessary to invite a Taoist priest to host a fire prevention ritual.

Ordinary people cannot see the hue-tsiau, but during a raging fire, it will definitely circle in the sky, at which point even ordinary people will be able to see it.

See also

• Lists of legendary creatures
• Yōkai