In Chinese mythology, the phoenix (fenghuang) is associated with good fortune, prosperity, and the power of transformation. The Chinese phoenix is often compared to the Western phoenix, which is also a mythical bird that is said to be immortal and able to rise from its own ashes.
 
Visions of the phoenix god were considered omens of great luck and peace. The phoenix in Japan, known as ho-o, came from China, probably in the Asuka Period during the mid-6th to mid-7th centuries. The earliest known ancient phoenix design dates back to about 7000–8000 years ago in Hongjiang, Hunan Province.
 
The males were originally called fèng and the females huáng, but this distinction of gender is often no longer made. They are blurred into a single feminine entity so that the bird can be paired with the Chinese dragon, which is traditionally deemed the male. The dragon was also considered the symbol of the emperor, with the phoenix being the symbol of the empress.