Bixie (辟邪) is a Chinese chimera with a lion’s body, feathered wings, and a dragon-like head. It is paired with the single-horned tianlu (天祿) of the same form; the third-century commentator Meng Kang distinguished the two by their horns — one horn for the tianlu, two for the bixie.
The name means “to ward off evil.” The Tang-era commentator Yan Shigu wrote that the bixie defends against demons and malign spirits. From the Eastern Han onward it was carved as a monumental stone beast set along the spirit road (神道) leading to imperial and aristocratic tombs, guarding the dead and signaling the dignity of the deceased.
The winged-feline form is thought to derive in part from Western and Central Asian prototypes carried along trade routes. Tianlu and bixie hardened into emblems of valor and protection, inscribed on banners, seals, and the handles of bells and bands; in later usage the bixie was also read as a creature that draws wealth. The best-preserved colossal bixie sculptures survive near Nanjing.