Nian

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Nian
Southern Chinese lion dance is said to relate to driving away the Nian
Traditional Chinese	年獸
Simplified Chinese	年兽
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Nián shòu Bopomofo ㄋㄧㄢˊ ㄕㄡˋ Wade–Giles Nien2 shou4 Tongyong Pinyin Nián shòu IPA [njɛ̌n.ʂôʊ] Yue: Cantonese Jyutping nin4 sau3 IPA [nin˩ sɐw˧]

A nian beast (traditional Chinese: 年獸; simplified Chinese: 年兽; Hanyu Pinyin: Nián shòu; Tongyong Pinyin: Nián shòu; Wade–Giles: Nien² shou⁴; Cantonese Yale: Nìhn sau; Zhuyin Fuhao: ㄋㄧㄢˊ ㄕㄡˋ) is a beast in Chinese mythology. According to Chinese mythology, the nian lives under the sea or in the mountains. The Chinese character nian more usually means "year" or "new year". The earliest written sources that refer to the nian as a creature date to the early 20th century. As a result, it is unclear whether the nian creature is an authentic part of traditional folk mythology, or a part of a local oral tradition that was recorded in the early 20th century. Nian is one of the key characters in the Chinese New Year. Scholars cite it as the reason behind several practices during the celebration, such as wearing red clothing and creating noise from drums and fireworks.^{[1][failed verification]}