Depictions of Xi Wangmu often include a bird—the birds in the earliest depictions are difficult to identify, and by the Tang dynasty, most of the birds appear in a circle, often with three legs, as a symbol of the sun.
Xi Wangmu is frequently depicted with a bird—a bird's form is unclear in the earliest images, but by the Tang era, most birds appear within a circular shape, often with three legs, signifying the sun.