According to the description in ancient books such as Shan Hai Jing Nan Shan Jing and overseas western classics, Phoenix is a tall bird with crane shape, gorgeous body color and good dancing, which can bring peace, because it is sometimes called "dancing bird".
In order to correspond to the dragon symbolizing the male emperor, the image of Phoenix began to be "feminine". The word "phoenix", which originally meant the male bird, was weakened or even ignored, and the word "phoenix" was directly used, such as Feng Chai, Feng Guan and Feng Dance. Phoenix began to become more noble, gorgeous and sacred. It was also from this time that the phoenix was called "the length of the feather worm" and "the king of birds", and "a hundred birds are facing the phoenix" appeared.
The Origin of Phoenix
The origin of Phoenix is in the Neolithic Age. Many bird patterns on painted pottery in primitive society are the embryonic form of phoenix. About 7400 years ago, a white clay pot was unearthed from the Gaomiao cultural site in Hongjiang, Hunan. The neck and shoulders of the pot are printed with patterns of oriental birds (including animal faces and the sun), one facing forward and the other looking back.
According to archaeological experts' appraisal, the phoenix pattern on this pottery is at least 400 years earlier than that found in Hemudu Cultural Site in Yuyao, Zhejiang Province, and it is the earliest phoenix pattern found in China so far.