Fenghuang (feng4 huang2) are mythological Chinese birds that reign over all other birds. The males are called Feng and the females are Huang; in modern times, however, such a distinction of gender is sometimes blurred into a single female entity, as the bird is often paired with Chinese Dragon and the dragon has male connotations.
In ancient China, they can often be found in the decorations of weddings or royalty, along with dragons. (The dragon and phoenix are considered symbols of blissful relations between husband and wife). Today, we follow the custom in apparel making by using a lot of phoenix motives.
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