Bixi is the Chinese mythical creature commonly depicted as a dragon-turtle hybrid. It usually has a dragon-like head attached to a broad turtle body and is famed for carrying heavy stone tablets.
In Chinese architectural and funerary art, Bixi appears as the plinth beneath a commemorative stele. The creature’s association with weight-bearing reflects its name and legendary nature. Monumental Bixi sculptures can be found at imperial mausoleums, temples, bridges, gates, and sites commemorating important events.
The tradition of turtle-supported steles is old: an important surviving example dates to around 205 CE, during the Eastern Han period. The form became especially prominent under the Ming and Qing dynasties, when regulations governed who could receive particular types of stone monuments.
Bixi is often listed as one of the Dragon King’s nine sons, although these lists vary and are much later than the earliest references to the name. It should not be confused with Suanni, a lion-like dragon son, Pixiu, a winged auspicious beast, or Qilin, a separate legendary animal.