The mythical bird that tirelessly tries to fill the sea with twigs is Jingwei.
Jingwei began as Nüwa, the youngest daughter of Yandi in the classic version of the story. After drowning in the Eastern Sea, she was transformed into a bird. Determined to prevent the sea from claiming more lives—and driven by grief and resentment—she repeatedly carries twigs and pebbles from the mountains and drops them into the water.
The myth is recorded in the Shanhaijing, or Classic of Mountains and Seas, an early Chinese collection of geography, creatures, and legends. Jingwei’s impossible task became a model of relentless determination. The Chinese idiom “Jingwei fills the sea” describes perseverance despite overwhelming odds.
Peng is a gigantic mythological bird associated with transformation from the fish Kun, while Fenghuang is a phoenix-like auspicious bird. Neither has Jingwei’s defining mission. The details vary, with sources mentioning twigs, stones, or both, but the bird’s name and purpose remain consistent.