Which of the Four Symbols represents the north in Chinese mythology?

The Four Symbol that represents the north in Chinese mythology is the Black Tortoise.

Known in Chinese as Xuanwu, the Black Tortoise is usually depicted as a tortoise entwined with a snake. It is one of the Four Symbols, celestial guardians associated with the four cardinal directions. In the traditional correspondences, it rules the north, winter, midnight, the color black, and the Water phase of wuxing.

The creature is sometimes translated as the Black Warrior, Dark Warrior, or Black Turtle-Snake. These variations can cause confusion, but they refer to the same symbolic figure rather than separate members of the Four Symbols. The “tortoise” depiction is therefore not merely a turtle standing alone; the accompanying snake is part of its standard iconography.

The Black Tortoise also became important in Taoist and East Asian religious imagery. In Japan it is called Genbu and is regarded as one of the guardian spirits of Kyoto. The other three Chinese symbols are the Azure Dragon of the east, Vermilion Bird of the south, and White Tiger of the west.