Hue-tsiau explained

Hue-tsiau (Chinese: c=火鳥|poj=Hué-tsiáu|l=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.[1] [2]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: 2017-01-05 . 火鳥 . 《妖怪臺灣:三百年島嶼奇幻誌‧妖鬼神遊卷》 . 聯經出版公司 . 何敬堯 .
  2. Book: 片岡巖. 臺灣風俗誌. 1921. 臺灣日日新報社.