Why was the number nine important in ancient China?

Because the number nine has many meanings: the number nine in ancient China is the dragon. Mainly reflected in the following aspects:

1, in ancient China, nine for the Yang number of the extreme number, that is, the single largest number, so more than nine of this number to attach to the emperor, and things related to the emperor is also more related to the nine, the emperor's position is called "Nine and a half," the emperor said "Nine and a half! '".

China's folk "nine" is also very favorite, which is manifested in everything with "nine" as a unit of measurement, "counting nine" is an example of the Southern Liang Dynasty, "Jingchu years and times" recorded that The Southern Liang Dynasty's "Jing Chou Years and Seasons" recorded: "The winter solstice and nine hundred and eighty-one days are counted as the coldest days of the year." Since then, "nine nine songs" began to circulate in the folklore.

2, in the design of ancient Chinese buildings are reflected in the design, Beijing's Gongwang Palace was originally Heshen's residence, inside the corridors, window panes and other places are decorated with bats, it is said that the total **** there are 9,999, bats resonate with the "Fuk", to take the meaning of long-lasting good fortune. If you add a "Fu", and "Wan Fu", and that "Fu", is hidden in the rockery inside the Kangxi Royal Pen "Fu The word "Fu" is hidden inside the wigwam.

3, the emperor as nine or five, but also inseparable from the "nine", he wore a nine-dragon robe, the residence of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, in the Hall of Peace, the height of the Hall of Peace are nine feet nine feet, the gate on the door nails are also nine rows of horizontal, vertical nine rows of a **** nine nine hundred and eighty-one, which are symbols of longevity. Of course, the Temple of Heaven, the Forbidden City, the worship of "nine" may have a deeper meaning.

Archaeological discovery, Diban Yangshao culture late palace F901 site is eight columns and nine room pattern, has been more than 5,000 years ago, and later generations of palaces are basically inherited such a building pattern.

4, "nine" also has a harmonic "long" this advantage, through the number of "nine" emphasis and repetition, but also has a "long "The symbolism, and thus more favored by the ancients. People pursued perfection, the number character "ten" represents "full", but the ancients believed that the full moon will lose, the extreme will be opposite, the extreme will decline. Comparatively speaking, "nine" happens to be in an upward trend, and has risen to an extreme point, which is the limit, and thus "nine" is regarded as the "supreme number".

This "supreme" status is often mixed with mystery and sanctity, such as the "nine songs" associated with primitive beliefs in the ancient times is an example. In addition, both Buddhism and Taoism also regard "nine" as an important number of practice. For example, Buddhism has "Nine Meanings", "Nine Chans", "Nine Monks", etc., Taoism has "Nine Revolutions Dan", which is said to be able to become immortal after eating it. can become immortal, Taoist gods and goddesses association "nine immortals", "nine true", "nine saints", etc., are also "nine" as the establishment quota.

5, in literature, there are also traces of "nine" beliefs, such as "Water Margin", said the nine heavenly goddesses rescued Song Jiang, gave Song Jiang heavenly book, instructed to "act on behalf of heaven". Taoism believes that in the Big Dipper there are thirty-six gods and seventy-two gods and goddesses, and in Water Margin it is said that Captain Hong mistakenly let go of the thirty-six gods and seventy-two goddesses and goddesses, and they were reincarnated as a hundred and eight heroes, which are all multiples of nine.

The magic spells mentioned in Journey to the West include "Thirty-six Changes", "Seventy-two Changes", "Hundred Thousand and Eighty-three Thousand Miles" with a single heel, and "Nine to the truth", "nine nine eighty-one difficulties" are also multiples of nine, it can be seen, "nine" in the Buddhist and Taoist thought and folk beliefs, all occupy an important position.

Extended information:

The origin of the "Nine of Five"

"Nine" and "five" symbolize the authority of the emperor, which is called "Nine and Five". In ancient China, numbers were divided into yang and yin, with odd numbers being yang and even numbers being yin. In ancient China, numbers were divided into yang and yin, with odd numbers being yang and even numbers being yin. Nine was the highest of the yang numbers, and five was in the center, thus symbolizing the emperor's authority with "nine" and "five", which was called "Nine and Five Supreme".

The term "nine and five" comes from the I Ching. The version of the I Ching that has been handed down to us today is said to have been written by King Wen of the Zhou Dynasty, and is therefore also known as the Zhou Yi. "Zhouyi" 64 hexagrams of the first hexagram for the Qian Gua, Qian symbolizes the sky, and therefore also became the representative of the emperor's trigrams. Qian Gua consists of six lines of Yang, which is the phase of extreme Yang and prosperity. Counting up from the bottom, the fifth line is called nine five, nine represents this line as a yang line, five for the meaning of the fifth line.

Because of the yin and yang transformation of the I Ching way, the extreme will decline, so the "nine five" is a "flying dragon in the sky", and "on the nine" (the sixth line of the dry hexagrams) for the "Excessive dragon has regrets". From the hexagrams, "on the nine" for the most Yang lines, no room to rise, is bound to decline. Therefore, it will be fierce. Therefore, the nine five is the best lines in the dry hexagram, dry hexagram is the first hexagram 64 hexagrams, so the nine five is 64 hexagrams three hundred and eighty-four lines of the best line, became the emperor of the phase.

Here, "nine" is not a specific number, but to identify the number of yin and yang attributes of the symbol. Later, people put "nine" and "five" as a specific number to use, I thought that one is to fit on behalf of the emperor's "nine five" lines; furthermore, "nine" and "five" as a specific number to use. "Nine" and "five" two figures in the use of architecture is also very consistent with the aesthetic principles. Zhouyi" interpretation of the words and phrases "Qian Dao changes, each positive life, to protect the harmony, is the chastity".

The Zhouyi is one of China's oldest classics, and has always been honored as the first of the Six Classics, which have had a profound impact on all areas of the Chinese nation, so it should be more plausible that the term "Jiuwu" originated from the Zhouyi.

Reference:

Baidu Encyclopedia - Nine

Reference:

Baidu Encyclopedia - Nine to Five