Xiezhi or Haetae (Chinese: 獬豸; pinyin: Xièzhì; Wade–Giles: hsieh-chih; Korean: 해태, Haetae, often spelled Haitai) is a legendary creature in both Korean and Chinese myths. According to Korean and Chinese records, an animal with a horn in the center of its head lived in the frontier areas of Manchuria.[1]
Xiezhi and Haetae sculptures in architecture were widely used in both Korea and China. In old China, emperors always preferred to utilize this sacred animal to symbolise justice. In ancient Korea, Haetae sculptures were used in architecture during the early Joseon dynasty, as their image was trusted to be able to protect Hanyang (now Seoul) from natural disasters and to give law and order among the populace. Seoul city has officially used Haechi (origin of Haetae) as the symbol of Seoul since 2009.