The Four Benevolent Animals (traditional Chinese: 四|靈; simplified Chinese: 四灵; Pinyin:Sì Líng) are figures from Chinese mythology that took abodes within the gardens of the palace of the Yellow Emperor. They included: * the Qilin (麒麟), the lord of furry quadrupeds; * the Dragon (龍), lord of scaly animals; * the Turtle (龜), lord of shelled animals; and * the Phoenix (鳳凰), lord of birds. They were juxtaposed with the "Four Perils" (四|凶}, Si Xiong), which were ambiguously described in the classics as monsters, barbarians, or circumstances.