According to old accounts, the Yellow Emperor encountered the Hakutaku during an imperial tour and compiled a book from its teachings on the world’s spirits, monsters, and remedies. Illustrations appear in the Sancai Tuhui and the Wakan Sansai Zue, and fragments of the now-lost Hakutaku Chart are said to have survived into the Song dynasty. In Japan, Hakutaku images served as warding charts for travelers and against disease, and were sometimes painted on temple and shrine doors. Local traditions exist across regions with differing details.