# Vermilion Bird

The Vermilion Bird (Chinese: 朱雀; pinyin: Zhūquè) is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations. According to Wu Xing, the Taoist five elemental system, it represents the Fire element, the direction south, and the season of summer correspondingly. Thus it is sometimes called the Vermilion Bird of the South (Chinese: 南方朱雀, Nán Fāng Zhū Què). It is described as a red bird that resembles a pheasant with a fire-colored plumage and is perpetually covered in flames. It is known as Suzaku in Japanese, Jujak in Korean and Chu Tước in Vietnamese.
It is often mistaken for the Fenghuang due to similarities in appearance, but the two are different creatures. The Fenghuang is a legendary ruler of birds who is 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.

## Seven Mansions of the Vermilion Bird

As with the other three Symbols, there are seven astrological "Mansions" (positions of the Moon) within the Vermilion Bird. The names and determinative stars are:
| Mansion no. | Name (pinyin) | Translation | Determinative star |
| 22 | 井 (Jǐng) | Well | μ Gem |
| 23 | 鬼 (Guǐ) | Ghost | θ Cnc |
| 24 | 柳 (Liǔ) | Willow | δ Hya |
| 25 | 星 (Xīng) | Star | α Hya |
| 26 | 張 (Zhāng) | Extended Net | υ¹ Hya |
| 27 | 翼 (Yì) | Wings | α Crt |
| 28 | 軫 (Zhěn) | Chariot | γ Crv |

## Nature of the symbol

The Vermilion Bird is elegant and noble in both appearance and behavior, with feathers in many different hues of vermilion. It is very selective about what it eats and where it perches.

## 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 | 外廚 | Wàichú | Outer Kitchen |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 鬼 | Guǐ | Ghost | 外廚 | Wàichú | Outer Kitchen | 2 Hya | 外廚一 | Wàichúyī | 1st star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 鬼 | Guǐ | Ghost | 外廚 | Wàichú | Outer Kitchen | 3 Hya / HD 74395 | 外廚二 | Wàichúèr | 2nd star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 鬼 | Guǐ | Ghost | 外廚 | Wàichú | Outer Kitchen | 14 Hya | 外廚三 | Wàichúsān | 3rd star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow | δ Hya |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow | δ Hya | 柳宿一 | Liǔxiùyī | 1st star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow | δ Hya | 柳宿距星 | Liǔxiùjùxīng | Separated star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow | δ Hya | 柳宿西头第三星 | Liǔxiùxītoudìsānxīng | 3rd star in the upper west |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow | δ Hya | 玉井西北星 | Yùjǐngxīběixīng | Star in northwest of Jade Well constellation |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow | δ Hya | 午 | Wǔ | The thong |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow | δ Hya | 鹑火星 | Chúnhuǒxīng | The phoenix |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow | σ Hya | 柳宿二 | Liǔxiùèr | 2nd star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow | η Hya | 柳宿三 | Liǔxiùsān | 3rd star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow | ρ Hya | 柳宿四 | Liǔxiùsì | 4th star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow | ε Hya | 柳宿五 | Liǔxiùwǔ | 5th star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow | ζ Hya | 柳宿六 | Liǔxiùliù | 6th star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow | ω Hya | 柳宿七 | Liǔxiùqī | 7th star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow | θ Hya | 柳宿八 | Liǔxiùbā | 8th star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 星 | Xīng | Star | 星 | Xīng | Star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 星 | Xīng | Star | 星 | Xīng | Star | α Hya |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 星 | Xīng | Star | 星 | Xīng | Star | α Hya | 星宿一 | Xīngxiùyī | 1st star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 星 | Xīng | Star | 星 | Xīng | Star | α Hya | 星宿距星 | Xīngxiùjùxīng | Separated star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 星 | Xīng | Star | 星 | Xīng | Star | α Hya | 星宿中央大星 | Xīngxiùzhōngyāngdàxīng | Big star in the center |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 星 | Xīng | Star | 星 | Xīng | Star | τ$^1$ Hya | 星宿二 | Xīngxiùèr | 2nd star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 星 | Xīng | Star | 星 | Xīng | Star | τ$^2$ Hya | 星宿三 | Xīngxiùsān | 3rd star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 星 | Xīng | Star | 星 | Xīng | Star | ι Hya | 星宿四 | Xīngxiùsì | 4th star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 星 | Xīng | Star | 星 | Xīng | Star | 26 Hya | 星宿五 | Xīngxiùwǔ | 5th star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 星 | Xīng | Star | 星 | Xīng | Star | 27 Hya | 星宿六 | Xīngxiùliù | 6th star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 星 | Xīng | Star | 星 | Xīng | Star | HD 82477 & HD 82428 | 星宿七 | Xīngxiùqī | 7th star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 張 | Zhāng | Extended Net | 張 | Zhāng | Extended Net |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 張 | Zhāng | Extended Net | 張 | Zhāng | Extended Net | υ$^1$ Hya | 張宿一 | Zhāngxiùyī | 1st star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 張 | Zhāng | Extended Net | 張 | Zhāng | Extended Net | λ Hya | 張宿二 | Zhāngxiùèr | 2nd star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 張 | Zhāng | Extended Net | 張 | Zhāng | Extended Net | μ Hya | 張宿三 | Zhāngxiùsān | 3rd star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 張 | Zhāng | Extended Net | 張 | Zhāng | Extended Net | HD 87344 | 張宿四 | Zhāngxiùsì | 4th star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 張 | Zhāng | Extended Net | 張 | Zhāng | Extended Net | κ Hya | 張宿五 | Zhāngxiùwǔ | 5th star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 張 | Zhāng | Extended Net | 張 | Zhāng | Extended Net | φ Hya | 張宿六 | Zhāngxiùliù | 6th star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 翼 | Yì | Wings | 翼 | Yì | Wings |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 翼 | Yì | Wings | 翼 | Yì | Wings | ν Hya | 翼宿五 | Yìxiùwǔ | 5th star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 翼 | Yì | Wings | 翼 | Yì | Wings | HD 100307 | 翼宿十八 | Yìxiùshíbā | 18th star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 翼 | Yì | Wings | 翼 | Yì | Wings | HD 96819 | 翼宿十九 | Yìxiùshíjiǔ | 19th star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 翼 | Yì | Wings | 翼 | Yì | Wings | χ$^1$ Hya | 翼宿二十 | Yìxiùèrshí | 20th star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 翼 | Yì | Wings | 翼 | Yì | Wings | HD 102620 | 翼宿二十一 | Yìxiùèrshíyī | 21st star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 翼 | Yì | Wings | 翼 | Yì | Wings | HD 103462 | 翼宿二十二 | Yìxiùèrshíèr | 22nd star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 軫 | Zhěn | Chariot | 青丘 | Qīngqiū | Green Hill |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 軫 | Zhěn | Chariot | 青丘 | Qīngqiū | Green Hill | β Hya |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 軫 | Zhěn | Chariot | 青丘 | Qīngqiū | Green Hill | β Hya | 青丘一 | Qīngqiūyī | 1st star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 軫 | Zhěn | Chariot | 青丘 | Qīngqiū | Green Hill | β Hya | 土公西星 | Tǔgōngxīxīng | Star in the west of Official for Earthworks and Buildings constellation |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 軫 | Zhěn | Chariot | 青丘 | Qīngqiū | Green Hill | HD 103596 | 青丘二 | Qīngqiūèr | 2nd star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 軫 | Zhěn | Chariot | 青丘 | Qīngqiū | Green Hill | 17 Crt | 青丘三 | Qīngqiūsān | 3rd star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 軫 | Zhěn | Chariot | 青丘 | Qīngqiū | Green Hill | HD 100393 | 青丘四 | Qīngqiūsì | 4th star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 軫 | Zhěn | Chariot | 青丘 | Qīngqiū | Green Hill | ξ Hya | 青丘五 | Qīngqiūwu | 5th star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 軫 | Zhěn | Chariot | 青丘 | Qīngqiū | Green Hill | ο Hya | 青丘七 | Qīngqiūqī | 7th star |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 軫 | Zhěn | Chariot | 軍門 | Jūnmén | Military Gate | HD 104309 | 軍門一 | Jūnményī | 1st star |