White Tiger 白虎(bái hǔ)

The final member of the Four Great Celestial Beasts is the White Tiger (no kidding, this is the exact translation of its name). As its name suggests, the White Tiger is a large tiger with snow-white fur. The White Tiger is able to control the element of gold or metal. He represents the season of fall and is the guardian of the east. In Chinese culture, tigers are known to be the king of the forest or the king of all beasts. The White Tiger is especially known to symbolize courageous, loyal and honorable warriors and is considered the god of battle. In fact, in ancient China, a hu-fu (虎符) or tiger tally was used to dispatch the army troops. The White Tiger’s fierceness was believed to protect people by threatening evil and bad luck away.