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While its face is scarce in popular culture today, this influential ancient monster from Chinese mythology predates the written word. Inspired by ancient bronze and jade iconography detailing the face of a bulgingeyed, gappingmouthed beast, the Taotie creature is both mysterious and notorious, inspiring fear with its horrible gluttony.

The greedy, insatiable appetite of the Taotie, one of the four “legendary monsters” or malevolences of Chinese mythology, is its defining trait—but why? Explore the many theories behind this beast as you dive into a mystery that has fascinated archeologists, historians, philosophers, and authors for thousands of years. #taotie #chinesemythology #MonstrumPBS

Written and Hosted by: Dr. Emily Zarka
Director: David Schulte
Executive Producer: Amanda Fox
Producer: Stephanie Noone
Illustrator: Samuel Allen
Editor: Ray Lux
Produced by Spotzen for PBS Digital Studios.

Dr. Zarka would like to sincerely thank Longwen Chen, M.D., Ph.D. for his aid with the Mandarin pronunciations in this episode (I tried to do them justice), and his knowledge regarding the Chinese mythological creatures discussed. Monstrum is better because of the generosity of people like you.

The world is full of monsters, myths, and legends and Monstrum isn’t afraid to take a closer look. The show, hosted by Emily Zarka, Ph.D., takes us on a journey to discover a new monster in each new episode. Monstrum looks at humans' unique drive to create and shape monster mythology through oral storytelling, literature, and film and digs deep into the history of those mythologies.

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