在汉人的艺术品帛画、墓室壁画、浮雕铜镜、印章、雕塑中，苍龙、白虎、朱雀、玄武出现的频率很高，汉人将它们当作四种祥瑞神灵而顶礼膜拜。分别代表东、西、南、北四方，为天之四灵，可正四方。汉人相信四灵能辟邪镇魔，消灾祛难。

In the han art works silk paintings, tomb murals, relief bronze mirrors, seals, sculptures, black dragon, white tiger, rosebird, xuanwu appear very frequently, the Han people regard them as the four auspicious gods and worship. Respectively represent east, west, south, north four, for the four spirits of the day, can be square. Han People believe that the four spirits can ward off evil spirits, eliminate disasters and dispel difficulties.

在汉瓦当中，四灵也频频亮相。人们在构木架屋时往往要择黄道吉日破土动工，因而这具有特殊意义的四灵就格外受欢迎。普通百姓将四灵当作他们的守护神，保佑一家老少无灾无病，平平安安；达官贵人祈求四灵保障他们富贵永恒，长宜子孙；至于皇室建筑的四灵雕刻，其意在期盼基业永固，传之万年。

In hanwa, the Four spirits also make frequent appearances. People in the construction of wooden frame houses often choose auspicious days to break ground, so this has a special significance of the Four spirits is particularly popular. Ordinary people will be four spirits as their patron saint, bless a family of young and old without disaster without disease, in peace; Dignitaries pray for the four spirits to protect their eternal wealth, long appropriate descendants; As for the carving of the four spirits of the royal architecture, it is expected that the foundation will last forever.