Haechi (Haetae): From a Legendary Guardian to the Symbol of Seoul

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Haechi is an imaginary creature often seen in Korean culture and tradition.

For a long time, it has been known as a guardian animal and a symbol of justice and protection.

According to old legends and folk stories, Haechi looks like a lion-like creature with one horn in the middle of its forehead. It is sometimes described as having scales and wings. One special feature of Haechi is that it is believed to eat fire.

People believed that if two people were fighting, Haechi would hit the wrong person with its horn. Because of this belief, Haechi became known as an animal that can judge right and wrong and distinguish good from evil. For this reason, it became a symbol of law and justice, and its image was used to decorate officials’ uniforms and government buildings.

In Korean tradition, Haechi is also believed to protect people from disasters and fires, so it became a symbol used to guard important buildings. You can easily see Haechi statues in front of palace gates.

There is also a story related to Seoul and traditional geomancy (feng shui). Most Korean palaces were built with wood, so people were always worried about fires. Since Haechi was believed to eat fire, people placed Haechi statues in front of palaces to protect them from fire.

Even today, the name Haechi or Haetae is familiar to many Koreans. It was the name of a famous snack company and also a professional baseball team.

Today, Haechi is an important symbol of Seoul. You can see Haechi statues, paintings, and characters in many places around the city. Some city buses are decorated with Haechi characters, and people sometimes call them “Haechi buses.”

Haechi began as a legendary creature symbolizing justice, later became a guardian of Korean palaces, and today represents the city of Seoul.

@Alex Understated

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