Of the top ten Chinese mascots, in addition to the phoenix and dragon, what else do you know?

Dragon

The dragon can be said to be the supreme beast of ancient China, because the ancient son of heaven is called the bloodline of the heavenly dragon, and now we also call ourselves the heir of the dragon, so it can be seen that the dragon is a very sacred animal. Dragon this animal in both Eastern and Western cultures have written records, in the twelve Chinese zodiac signs also have dragons, the other eleven animals exist in reality, then the dragon is also really exist? The answer we also do not know, the dragon in the end there is no are very difficult to prove, but in many history books, on the dragon have records.

"Shuowen Jiezi" on the dragon's interpretation is: "scale insects of the long, can be hidden can be bright, can be fine can be huge, can be short can be long, the spring equinox and ascending to the sky, the autumn equinox and submerged in the abyss." The ancients also believe that the dragon's shape has nine: head like a camel, horn like a deer, eyes like a rabbit, ears like a cow, neck like a snake, belly like a mirage, scales like a carp, claws like an eagle, palm like a tiger. In short, the dragon is a kind of strange appearance, can be big and small, can be short and long, can be submerged in the abyss of the gods.

Phoenix

The phoenix is the king of birds in ancient Chinese legend, in fact, the phoenix is divided into male and female, the male name phoenix, female phoenix, together called the phoenix. Legend has it that a long time ago, the phoenix and the phoenix were inseparable, flying and perching together, so there is "phoenix seeks phoenix", "phoenix in the fly" these words to symbolize the love and harmony between husband and wife. Of course, we don't know whether the phoenix, like the dragon, really exists.

We often hear the words "dragon and phoenix", "dragon and phoenix dance", so the phoenix is a pair of dragons, or a pair of phoenix? In fact, from the Qin Dynasty, the image of the phoenix began to change from yang to yin, and gradually be "feminized". Because the image of the dragon is very dominant and majestic, but also more masculine characteristics, so as a symbol of the emperor, Qin Shi Huang called himself "Ancestral Dragon", after the emperor also have to follow suit. Because the image of the phoenix is very beautiful, and prefer to decorate the female similar, so the phoenix as a symbol of the emperor and queen consort.

Turtle

Turtle is a very auspicious sacred animal in ancient times, because the turtle's life expectancy is generally very long, so it is considered a symbol of longevity. And the back of the turtle texture Zong Mi, peculiar patterns, the ancients believed that the shell of the turtle hides the secrets of heaven and earth, so the ancients used the shell of the turtle divination, as China's oldest oracle bone inscriptions, is the ancients wrote on the shell of the turtle divination text.

The ancients believed that the tortoise can also bestow blessings, the war flag of the army in the Warring States period often have a tortoise pattern, the Han Dynasty, there is a golden tortoise seal, the traditional pattern is also common in the tortoise back pattern. In ancient times, there are four gods, also known as the "four elephants", that is, "the left dragon, the right white tiger, the south of the vermilion bird, the north of the Xuanwu", of which "Xuanwu" refers to the turtle. According to historical records, wu zetian after the emperor, that their own wu surname, should be in the north of the "xuanwu" on. Therefore, Wu Zetian changed the fish symbol set up by the previous dynasty to a turtle symbol, as a credential to mobilize the army and a symbol of the official's status.

Kirin

The Kirin, a traditional Chinese beast, is said to have a gentle nature and to live for 2,000 years. The unicorn is described in the Book of Changes as, "The unicorn is a deer, with a cow's tail, a wolf's forehead and a horse's hoof, with a five-colored head, yellow under the belly, and a height of ten feet and two inches." According to the records of the Spring and Autumn Period, there is also a unicorn, Confucius also saw, "Zuo Zhuan - Lamenting the fourteenth year": "fourteen years in the spring, the western hunting in the great wild. In the spring of the 14th year, the western hunt took place in the Great Wild. He thought it was ominous and gave it to the Yu people. Zhongni looked at it and said, 'Lin is also.' Then he took it." Meaning: In the spring of the 14th year of Duke Ai of Lu, he was hunting in the area of Juno County. Shusun's servant, Mou Shang, who was in charge of the car, captured a strange beast, which Shusun thought was inauspicious and gave it to the Yu people. Confucius looked at it and said, "It's a unicorn!" When Shusun heard about it, he kept the beast. This is the famous story of the "Western Hunting for the Unicorn" in history.

Of course, we don't know whether the unicorn that Confucius saw was the one we think he saw. It is also written in the Book of the Ram: "The Lin is a benevolent beast. It arrives when there is a king, but does not arrive when there is no king." Meaning: the unicorn is a benevolent beast, the country if there is a benevolent king the unicorn will appear, if there is no benevolent king the unicorn will not appear. So the ancients believed that the unicorn infested place, there will be auspicious.