The modern constellation Ophiuchus lies across two of the quadrants symbolized by the Azure Dragon of the East (東方青龍, Dōng Fāng Qīng Lóng) and The Black Tortoise of the North (北方玄武, Běi Fāng Xuán Wǔ), and Three Enclosures (三垣, Sān Yuán), that divide the sky in traditional Chinese uranography.
The name of the western constellation in modern Chinese is 蛇夫座 (shé fū zuò), which means "the snake man constellation".