the four auspicious beasts
Rare term from Chinese mythology referring collectively to the four auspicious beasts: 麒麟 (qilin), 鳳凰 (fenghuang), 霊亀 (linggui), and 応竜 (yinglong). Used mainly in classical or mythological contexts.
See also: キリン (きりん) · 鳳凰 (ほうおう) · 霊亀 (れいき) · 応竜 (おうりゅう)
The Four Auspicious Beasts refer to the four sacred animals: the qilin, fenghuang, linggui, and yinglong.
One of the four auspicious beasts; 四瑞 is the collective term.
From Chinese 四瑞 (sì ruì), literally 'four auspicious things'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is used in classical Chinese and Japanese texts to refer to these four mythical creatures.