According to some sources, the qilin walks on clouds so that it will not step on a single blade of grass. It has the ability to travel to Heaven, sometimes bringing the souls of great heroes to Earth before birth or to Heaven after death.

Qilin generally have Chinese dragon-like features: similar heads with antlers, eyes with thick eyelashes, manes that always flow upward, and beards. The body is fully or partially scaled and often shaped like an ox, deer, or horse. They are always shown with cloven hooves.