The origin of the Shang Dynasty traces back to the myth contained in The Book of Songs-Shang Praise Praise-Shyuan Bird. According to this legend, Providence commanded the shyuan bird to descend into the world and give birth to the ancestor of the Shang Dynasty. Researches over the centuries have confirmed that the people of Shang perceived the shyuan bird as a symbol of the dynasty and regarded themselves as its progeny. What kind of species is the shyuan bird? Answers provided by scholars range from swallow or phoenix during an earlier period to sunbird or even a symbol of fertility worship in recent times. Every theory has evidence cited in its favor, but there is only one truth. After centuries of researches on the shyuan bird, has its true identity been gradually unveiled, or does persistent misinterpretation continue to conceal the truth? Written historical record and archeological evidence can enable us to examine the original story of the shyuan bird, and also provide a valuable means of understanding popular custom and culture of the Shang Dynasty. In this way, the shyuan bird’s mystical mask may finally be lifeted.