Guan Yin

Guan Yin
Guan Yin depicted as a sea goddess riding a dragon. Photographed by Günter Trageser on April 4th, 2005.
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	觀音
Simplified Chinese	观音
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Guānyīn Wade–Giles Kuan1-yin1 Wu Suzhounese Kue阴平 In阴平 Gan Romanization Guon In Hakka Romanization Guān Rhīm Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Gūnyām Jyutping Gun1 Jam1 Southern Min Hokkien POJ Koan-im
Full Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	觀世音
Simplified Chinese	观世音
Literal meaning	"[The One Who] Perceives the Sounds of the World"
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Guānshìyīn Wade–Giles Kuan1-shih4-yin1 Wu Suzhounese Kue阴平 Syu阴去 In阴平 Hakka Romanization Guān Shè Rhīm Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Gūnsai Yām Jyutping Gun1 Sai3 Jam1 Southern Min Hokkien POJ Koan-sè-im
Burmese name
Burmese	ကွမ်ယင်မယ်တော်
IPA	[kwàɴ jɪ̀ɴ]
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese	Quan Âm Quán Thế Âm
Hán-Nôm	觀音 觀世音
Thai name
Thai	กวนอิม
Korean name
Hangul	관음 관세음
Hanja	觀音 觀世音
Transcriptions Revised Romanization Gwan-eum Gwan-se-eum
Japanese name
Kanji	観音 觀音 観世音 観音菩薩 観自在
Transcriptions Romanization Kannon Kanzeon Kwannon (archaic) Kanjizai
Sinhala name
Sinhala	නාථ දෙවියෝ
Tibetan name
Tibetan	སྤྱན་རས་གཟིགས

Guan Yin (also spelled Kwan Yin) is the Chinese name of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva and incarnation of compassion and mercy.

Her full name is Guanshiyin which means "Observing the sounds (or cries) of the world." She represents mercy and compassion and is popular in the East and the West.

She takes various forms all over the world, in different eras and various forms. She can appear in the world as either male or female.