If jade is not carved, it will not become a useful object. The significance of carving auspicious animals

The ancients said: "If jade is not carved, it will not become a useful object." Jade carving has a long history in my country. Since the dragon, phoenix, unicorn and other animals were totems worshipped by people in ancient my country, such carved patterns as Kuilong arching a jade disk, phoenix feathers and auspicious clouds, dragon and phoenix presenting auspiciousness, unicorn spitting out books, and unicorn and phoenix presenting auspiciousness were widely used in jade carving. Nowadays, people often carve some legendary auspicious beasts into jade pendants and wear them on their bodies in the hope of bringing good luck. This is because those legendary auspicious beasts have beautiful meanings. Wearing them on the body can not only ward off disasters and evil spirits, but also have many other benefits. Let’s take a look at the five most common traditional auspicious beasts and their meanings and legends.

1. Pixiu

Pixiu, also known as Tianlu and Pixie, is a mythical beast in ancient Chinese mythology and legends. It has a dragon head, a horse body, and unicorn feet. It looks like a lion, has gray fur, and can fly. The Pixiu is fierce and powerful. It is responsible for patrolling the sky to prevent demons, ghosts, plagues and diseases from disturbing the heavenly palace. It is an ancient auspicious beast with one or two horns. The one-horned one is called Tianlu, and the two-horned one is called Pixie. The one that can ward off evil is the Pixiu.

It has short wings, a curled tail, and a mane. People regard Pixiu as a symbol of good luck. The bigger the mouth of the Pixiu, the more money it can earn; the rounder its belly, the more money it can hold. Pixiu is so popular because it has an extremely rare feature: it has a mouth but no excretory organs, which means it can only take in but not give out.

Therefore, people hope to be like the Pixiu, "only bringing in and not giving out", and they will spend huge amounts of money to attract endless wealth. Generally, people who work in non-traditional industries believe that a Pixiu will bring them extra wealth, so they will place a Pixiu in their company or business place. Non-traditional industries include foreign exchange, stocks, finance, horse racing, futures and so on. But it is not effective against criminals because it is a spiritual animal.

2. Dragon

The dragon has been the totem of the Chinese nation since ancient times, and it symbolizes the throne of the emperor. In ancient China, the one with two horns on its head was called a dragon, the one with one horn was called a Jiao; the one without horns was called a Chi. In ancient times, jade pendants often had two dragons of different sizes, called mother and son Chi. Legend has it that the dragon gave birth to nine kinds of creatures, namely: the eldest son Qiuniu liked music; the second son Yazi liked killing; the third son Chaofeng liked danger; the fourth son Baxia liked carrying heavy loads; the fifth son Bi'an liked litigation; the sixth son Chiwen liked swallowing; the seventh son Taotie liked food; the eighth son Jinni liked fireworks; and the ninth son Pulao liked to roar.

The dragon is a metaphor for men in folk culture. It has become the most noble mascot in the minds of Chinese people, and is a symbol of power, strength, excellence, and wealth.

3. Phoenix

The phoenix is ​​the "king of birds" and the most famous auspicious bird in ancient China. The prototype of the chicken in the Chinese zodiac is the phoenix. The phoenix was originally masculine and was also called the sun bird. It also has the characteristic of being reborn from fire, just like the phoenix in the West, so it is also called the fire phoenix. The dragon was originally feminine and it represents aquatic animals. Around the Han Dynasty, because Liu Bang claimed to be the reincarnation of a white dragon and said that the emperor was the true dragon emperor, the dragon was transformed from a feminine animal to a masculine animal, while the phoenix was transformed from a masculine animal to a feminine animal and became the symbol of the queen.

For thousands of years, the phoenix has been regarded as a symbol of beauty, auspiciousness, kindness, tranquility, virtue, nature, following the will of heaven, advocating humanity, bringing peace and light in the hearts of the Chinese people. It is often used to describe the love between husband and wife or to wish someone a happy marriage. According to ancient records, the phoenix is ​​a beautiful bird, and is known as the king of birds for its singing and demeanor. It can bring good luck to the world, and also has the special spirituality of "not roosting except on the phoenix trees, not eating except bamboo fruits, and not drinking except sweet springs." And because it is the leader of "feathered insects," it gradually became a pair with the dragon, the leader of "scaled insects," in legends. One is changeable, and the other has good virtues, and they have become a pair that complement each other in folklore. Moreover, because the dragon symbolizes the extreme yang, the phoenix, which originally had yin and yang (male phoenix, female phoenix), gradually became the representative of pure yin after being compared with the dragon.

4. Turtle

The turtle has mysterious patterns on its back. Chinese people have always believed that the turtle hides the secrets of heaven and earth, so it has become a mysterious animal with rich cultural connotations. At the same time, because turtles have extremely long lifespans, they have become a symbol of longevity. People often use "turtle age" to describe a person's longevity or combine it with "crane age" to call it "turtle age and crane age" or "turtle and crane equal age." Since ancient times, people have believed that turtles can bring auspiciousness, and turtles have become spiritual objects of forerunners and prophets. Placing a jade turtle can transform yin into yang, regulate the yin and yang balance and natural magnetic field in the room, replenish luck and wealth, and use a jade turtle to protect the house, which can bring peace, good luck and wealth.

5. Qilin

Qilin is one of the "Five Spirits" along with Pixiu, Phoenix, Dragon and Turtle, and Qilin is the leader of the "Five Spirits". As early as the Zhou Dynasty, there were legends about Qilin in my country. The most detailed record is in the book "Maoshi Zhengyi", which says: "The unicorn has the body of a elk, the feet of a horse, the tail of an ox, yellow hair, round hooves, and flesh on the tips of its horns---". According to legend, the Qilin has a gentle temperament. It will not step on insects or break grass. It has horns on its head with flesh on them. It is a virtuous and benevolent animal. Therefore, emperors of all dynasties have loved the Qilin and regarded its appearance as a good omen for the country, to show their imperial power and to herald a clear and bright future.

People regard Qilin as a mascot. According to legend, wherever Qilin steps on, it will bring good luck to the people there. There is an ancient saying that "Qilin appears in prosperous times". The Jade Qilin represents saving the world, prosperity, and wisdom. It also means eliminating disasters and difficulties and expelling evil spirits. Applicable to: gratitude, friendship, blessings, moral integrity, ability, excellence, helping the world, education, military, police, judiciary, politics, promotion, election, community, newlyweds, childbirth, opening of a business.

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