What does the tiger symbolize?

The tiger symbolizes majesty and power.

The tiger is one of the largest cats on earth, weighing more than 200 kilograms, and the pattern on its forehead forms the Chinese character for "king," which is in fact derived from the word for tiger, and thus the tiger is also known as the "king of beasts. In fact, the word "king" is derived from the word "tiger", so the tiger is also known as the "king of beasts".

China has the largest number of tiger species among the 14 tiger-producing countries in the world. As early as 2 million years ago, the ancestors of the modern tiger, called the "Chinese Ancestral Tiger", lived on our Chinese soil. Naturally, the image of the tiger can be seen everywhere in traditional Chinese culture.

In 1987, Henan Puyang Xishuipo unearthed a pair of clams plastic dragon and tiger, about 6000 years ago, in accordance with the "East Green Dragon, West White Tiger, South Zhuquan, North Xuanwu" pattern placed in the east and west side of the owner of the tomb, known as "China's first tiger! "

China's first tiger.

China's "national treasure" Si Muwu tripod, in its tripod ears on the outside is also decorated with a pair of tiger pattern, tiger mouth to the mouth contains a human head. The image of the tiger is awe-inspiring, so in ancient China's military, used to mobilize troops to send generals of the military talisman is usually engraved with a tiger, known as the tiger, which was first born in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States period.

The most famous incident of the tiger talisman is the story of Lord Xinling stealing the talisman to save Zhao. According to the Records of the Grand Historian, in 257 B.C., Qin sent troops to besiege Handan, the capital of Zhao, and in order to save Handan, Prince Xinling of Wei conspired with the wife of the King of Wei, Ru Ji, to steal the tiger's talisman, and finally defeated the Qin troops and saved Zhao.

In folklore, people believe that "the tiger does not eat the child", children wearing embroidered tiger shoes, tiger hat, is considered to be able to drive away evil spirits to avoid trouble, good luck and peace. Twelve zodiac signs, the tiger ranked third, known as Yin. There are many famous tiger people in history, such as Qin Shi Huang, Li Shizhen, Zhang Heng, Tang Pak Fu and so on.

Expanded Information

Related Cultures - Totem

The worship of the tiger should be originated from the totem worship of the tiger in the Chu culture. The tiger has always been worshipped in a pivotal way, and according to the evidence, the image of the tiger also appeared in the ancient Qiang Rong tribe, but it was most popular in southwest China.

The animal face of the jade cong in the Liangzhu culture in the Neolithic era and the animal face on the Yinshang bronzes are similar to the image of the tiger, and until today, China's Yi, Bai, Buyi, Tujia and other ethnic groups still claim that the tiger is their ancestor. The Han Dynasty people regarded the tiger as the king of the forest. The white tiger is a tiger that can only turn white in five hundred years and is a divine creature, and immortals often ascend to heaven on tigers as well.

It is the beast of the west. Since the Han Dynasty, the tiger has become the working people's favorite protective deity, and did not become a symbol of the emperor, after a long history of evolution and development, the cultural awareness of the revered tiger, has become the Chinese nation's **** the same cultural concepts.

Baidu Encyclopedia - Tiger