Tips on how to use bird symbols in your home and work. Like the qilin (a unicorn-like creature), the fenghuang is often considered to signify both male and female elements, a yin-yang harmony; In the case of bird names, Japanese often had specific bird names for which no suitable Chinese characters could be found. Cranes are an important motif in Chinese mythology. The eagle is not widely seen in Chinese art, it is sometimes used to symbolize strength. Many Chinese believe in surrounding themselves with lucky symbols and objects to increase their prosperity and joy. Often the mandarin drake is shown with a lotus flower in its beak and its mate with a lotus fruit with the meaning of a wish for children. To use the English name ‘phoenix’ is rather misleading as there is little in common with the Egyptian mythical bird ➚. The Chinese delicacy Bird's nest soup ➚ is made from seaweed and the dried saliva of the sea swallow (Hirundo esculenta). In Europe it was believed that they hibernated ➚ - some say under water. It symbolizes loyalty as the ducks are said to mate for life and that when one dies its mate will pine away and also die. Multiplicity in flower-and-bird symbolism In contrast to the usually clear-cut flower symbol ism of Western culture, in Chinese tradition, the meaning of the flower­ and-bird symbolism is multi-layered. Though eagles are quite commonly seen, sighting them is associated with diverse things, such as achieving success and prosperity, doing an act of kindness and generosity, or being contemplative and enlightened. If you like this topic, let me know and I can highlight some more of them. Together, they were a metaphor for the yin and yang symbol, as well as a representation of the solemn relationship between man and woman. Try Different Quizzes People Are Talking About! A duck amongst reeds 一甲连科 yī jiǎ lián kēgives the wish for good luck in examinations (a reed is a homophone for ‘passing exams’). Standing head and shoulders above the opposition. Bat - Fu - symbol of longevity, prosperity, happiness. This bird is also extremely docile and signifies high moral standards. Rather be a chicken's head than a phoenix's tail, Better to be leader of a humble organization than the stooge of a grand one, Cooking a chicken in a pot designed for an ox, An in appropriate tool or scale of preparation for a job. Two grades of Qing dynasty officials had a pheasant decoration to indicate their rank. The same character 翡 fěi is used for a type of green jade and probably from this it is a metaphor for the more showy forms of female beauty. The Crane is also the Chinese symbol for wisdom and is often called the blessed-crane or heavenly crane. There are several species of Kingfisher in China that are all admired for their bright, iridescent plumage. The description of this mythological bird is said to have: Chinese Symbols For Longevity. A creation legend has it that there were ten sun-ravens in the sky creating far too much heat, so the Divine archer Houyi shot down nine of them. The Chinese zodiac is a repeating 12-year cycle. 鸟 ( niao / niăo ) (English translation: "bird") as Chinese character including stroke order, Pinyin phonetic script, pronunciation in Mandarin, example sentence and English meaning With this intriguing interpretation, Ruskin reintroduced a very wide-spread ancient belief. The name 鹳 guàn is used for both storks and cranes and the same symbolism applies. It was usually the girls of the household who looked after them and trained them to obey commands by whistling. Often, its appearances herald the beginnings of large fires, so they are not a lucky symbol to have in your home. In China it has a positive connotation, a harbinger of joy and as such a magpie is used in paintings to wish someone joy as 喜 xǐ means ‘glad; joy; happiness’. Rather curiously the character for ‘write’ in its traditional form is a magpie under a roof 寫 perhaps indicating that writing is setting ideas in order just as how a magpie arranges its nest (the simplified form is now 写 xiě). In Chinese culture, the Phoenix bird is the symbol of the Empress and represents beauty, peace and happiness. A jade scepter 玉杖 yù zhàng with a figure of a dove at one end was given to people who reached the age of seventy which is why the scepter was also known as the ‘dove staff’ 鸽杖 gē zhàng. In mythology, the ‘boy of the white crane’ is a messenger of the gods who helps heroes. They are messengers of happiness and only appear in times of prosperity and peace. The modern character for flight 飞 fēi is just one wing but the traditional form of this character is 飛 which may represent a crane in flight with two ‘wings’ and a long neck. For A Happy Marriage, fidelity. In a picture a quail may symbolize peace as 安 ān sounds the same as ‘quail’. The name of phoenix, feng hunag, means “male bird, female bird”. In ancient times, the male phoenix was called feng and the female birds were called haung. Chinese Symbol For Longevity. Here are some birds and their symbolism in Chinese art: The cockerel or rooster is an honored creature in China. Eagle tail feathers were considered a potent charm. The symbolism of flowers and fruit in Chinese art 花 朵 huā duǒ Plate 87. Birds and Insects. Storks tend to live in wetlands while cranes prefer drier areas. In Chinese mythology, the swan meaning is a symbol of yang and is revered as a solar bird. A goose was used as the emblem of the Imperial Postal Service because of the story of Su Wu ➚ 苏武 who alerted the Emperor in 81BCE to his false imprisonment by using a goose as messenger - tying a letter to a goose's foot. Fenghuang, in Chinese mythology, an immortal bird whose rare appearance is said to be an omen foretelling harmony at the ascent to the throne of a new emperor. This may be linked to their amazing nest building skills, they can quickly repair and build a structure just out of mud. In Chinese culture, the phoenix is the king of all birds. 7. The result was a number of fascinating workarounds. In pictures a group of magpies symbolizes many good wishes, with an official on horseback signifies ‘multiple joys’. The Phoenix is the queen of all bird symbols in feng shui, and it is the one most revered. Everywhere in China the characters for Good Fortune 福 fú and the Ox 牛 niú will be seen during the next week to welcome in the Chinese New Year of the Ox on February 12th. You find bad people everywhere, As rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. Cranes also signify authority, so cranes were embroidered onto the robes of Imperial officials. Cranes are one of the culture’s most favored birds, second only to the phoenix. Out of reverence, the cockerel in contrast to hens, was not killed for meat. Birds are one of feng shui's most important creatures. It’s the first day the Lunar New Year. For some reason it is also the bird in the center of the sun (other legends have this as a crow or cockerel) and this raven has three legs. A swallow may also signify brotherly affection. The Peng niao is a legendary bird of immense proportions rather like the Ao. The bird symbolizes friendship when depicted in pictures. They are seen as fierce, wise, courageous, benevolent and loyal. The character for crow 乌 wū is very similar to the one for bird 鸟 niǎo . Rooseter By Žiga (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)%5D, via Wikimedia CommonsHere are a three more important birds in Chinese culture: In Western cultures, the mythical phoenix rises from the ashes and exemplifies rebirth. In Chinese, the word for Apple and Peace are similarly pronounced as “Ping.”The giving of the gift of apples, whether real or symbolic, is considered an offering of the idea of eternal peace and harmony and is comparable to the salutation “peace be with you”. Its huge wings allow it to swoop thousands of miles. She painted a peacock on a screen and the first Tang Emperor Gaozu won her hand by shooting an arrow through both eyes of the peacock in the painting this led to the phrase “choose by hitting the screen of birds” which expresses the wish to catch an ideal partner. In the “Divine Classic of Nanhua ➚” Zhuangzi describes the giant bird that dwarfs the mountains. An association with young female beauty makes it also crop up in descriptions of prostitutes and brothels. A Daoist priest was said to be able to transform into a crane. Jian Bird 鲣鸟. Mandarins are native to China and nest in trees, the male is far more colorful than the female. In Chinese culture, the phoenix is the king of all birds. With peony and plum blossom it expresses a wish for joy to arrive in Spring. In decoration they symbolize boldness and keen sightedness. The 12 animals (in order) are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. A picture of a cock crowing (公鸡鸣 gōng jī míng) symbolizes achievement. Tianjin University staff and students have programmed a robot to paint the character for good fortune based just on the eye movements of the operators. The handsome male peacock struts around showing off its amazing ‘eyed’ tail feathers to a passing peahen. The phoenix is often pictured with another important mythical Chinese creature, the Dragon. Jian Birds are born with only one eye and one wing. A chicken 鸡 jī is given the character of a ‘bird’ in a ‘hand’ showing its long domestication, however the old form of jī 雞 used as the phonetic a combination of adult producing silk signifying a woman in another form of domestication. It stands as a homophone for 合 hé ‘peace, harmony’. It is lucky because it sounds the same as 吉 jí ‘auspicious, lucky’. It has been observed that corvids, including ravens, crows and magpies, play tribute to their dead ➚. As animals, we admire their faith and loyalty as many birds form tight loving bonds and many mate for life. Luck plays an large role in Chinese culture. It is an emblem of beauty and dignity. Hō-ō is simply the Japanese pronunciation of fenghuang. Cockerels are valued for ravenously eating insect pests. Rather than being associated with young love as it is in the West the Chinese association of the dove is with long life and fidelity as doves pair for life. We have one bird in the Chinese Zodiac: the Rooster (last year’s animal). Known as the Spring Festival, the Lunar New Year occurs on the second new Moon after the Winter Solstice. They also symbolize happiness, especially if lotus flowers are depicted along with the ducks. Feng was a male bird, while huang was a female. An owl's call was taken as a sign that someone had died. Nine quail with chrysanthemums symbolizes a wish for many generations to live long together in peace. The most famous legend associated with magpies is that of Zhinu 织女 and Niulang 牛郎 where on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month a bridge of magpies allows the two lovers to be briefly re-united among the stars. Pictures with magpies, bamboos and plums signify a wish for marital joy. ¹ is the way to write eagle, falcon, or hawk in Chinese. Like pine trees and stones, the crane symbolizes longevity as well as wisdom. The fact that the vocabularies of Chinese and Japanese frequently featured differences created problems in matching Japanese words to Chinese characters. The vermillion (red) phoenix represents the most important of directions - south. Specific birds give hidden meanings in Chinese paintings, please refer to individual entries in this section for magpies, quails, swallows, cranes, ravens, eagles and many others. A picture of an owl was used as a talisman, often on roofs, to keep away evil spirits. The character ‘ying’ can mean any one of several raptors: falcons, hawks and eagles. The Vermillion Bird corresponds to the season of summer. The Chinese name of the crow comes from its raucous call, which was considered an ill omen, particularly if heard when a deal was being negotiated. In a painting it symbolizes a path or way as it sounds the same as 路 lù ‘way, method or path’. The sage of calligraphy Wang Xizhi is often shown with a pair of geese of which he was very fond, it is believed the geese may have influenced his writing style. The graceful crane is a common emblem in paintings. A goose is a symbol of marital fidelity like the mandarin duck as it mates for life and often flies in pairs. Therefore, learning about these Chinese symbols is a great way to learn about the culture a little bit more. • When describing chinoiserie or authentic Asian ceramics and other artworks, English-speaking art historians and antique collectors sometimes refer to it as hoho bird, a name derived from hō-ō, with a second extraneous h added. They may have connections to the four benevolent animals. Chinese luck can be found in all types of plants as well. However calling a woman a hen is not a good idea as jī is a slang word for a prostitute. The word "bat" in the Chinese language sounds identical to the word for "Good Fortune". Some tales make it a bird of ill omen, if it did not call in the twelfth lunar month floods would arise; while others have it over-wintering as an oyster (as with the swallow). The swallow is depicted as a character complete with a wing, head, body and tail.They used to be very numerous in China as the traditional roofs offered ideal nesting places. From very early times courtyard homes had a small garden at its heart. birds, animals, flowers, fruit, nature and miscellaneous, Book : Chinese Symbolism and Art Motifs:…, Book : Massacres of Christians by heathen…, Book : The Collision of Two Civilizations:…, Chinese Charms -- Hidden Meaning of Symbols. Roosters are the only birds included that also feature in the twelve Chinese zodiac animals. The Four Symbols (Chinese: 四象; pinyin: Sì Xiàng, literally meaning "four images"), are four mythological creatures appearing among the Chinese constellations along the ecliptic, and viewed as the guardians of the four cardinal directions. It is one of the twelve animals forming the Chinese zodiac. Ducks when portrayed in pictures or on porcelain denote a wish for happiness, especially when combined with a lotus. The Fenghuang is a bird in Chinese mythology that symbolizes the union of male and female, and represents the six celestial bodies. Roosters represent loyalty, courage, confidence, honesty, and being hard working. Chinasage is a delveoping web resource dedicated to anything relating to China. User with this ability either is or can transform into one of the Four Symbols which are four mythological creatures in the Chinese constellations, each one representing a direction and a season, and connected to certain elements. Available under a Creative Commons License The symbolism of flowers in Chinese art is very rich, as many flowers have their individual entry in this survey of symbols. As a mythological creature, the phoenix is considered as a symbol of good luck. There is a legend of a beautiful daughter who set a challenge to select the man to marry her. Cockerels were also trained to herd ducks in olden days. Each year is represented by an animal and its characteristics. A crane among clouds represent nobility; a pair of cranes represent a wish for long married life while a crane in pine trees a wish for a long life together (松鹤同春 sōng hè tóng chūn ‘grow old together as if in Spring’). The magpie is universally admired for its intelligence and guile but it can be a nuisance to farmers. There is an ancient Chinese proverb that says ‘it is better to be an honest crow than a deceitful magpie’. Bird Symbols: Eagle: Eagle symbolizes independence, freedom, endurance, courage, determination, control, authority, focus, skill, mental acuity and also opportunism. They are believed to mate for life and so signify marital loyalty. Its call is similar to 咬 yǎo the word for ‘bite’. For decoration it is mainly used as a colorful motif on porcelain. To the Chinese, the deer is a very popular symbol associated with speed, endurance and a long life. It is a word you have to be careful with in China as it is also a slang term for a homosexual. In Chinese folklore, the mythical phoenix is attributed with the qualities of beauty, inspiration, and genuine grace (feminine yin qualities). The bird is mentioned in the 1,000 character classic. There are various myths involving cranes, and in Chinese mythology cranes are generally symbolically connected with the idea of immortality (d, 1983: 75-76). As a feng shui symbol, birds offer many benefits. Bats - if five - "the Five blessings" of long life, health, riches, love of virtue, and a natural death. The cock's comb 冠 guān uses the same character as for the hat of an official and and so symbolizes a wish for an appointment as an official. They are often used in combination to provide a complex thought, for example a lotus with a goldfish symbolizes the wish for an abundance of gold. The Queen Mother of the West is sometimes depicted riding a peacock or with peacock feathers in her hair. The Mongol khans, in common with the people of Central Asia today, were very fond of falconry. It is considered lucky if a magpie builds its nest near your home. The This name i… The seemingly vast difference between hō-ō and fenghuang is due to Chinese vowels with ng usually being converted to ō in Go-on reading. This is why magpies became a favorite decoration for the backs of mirrors. Beijing was known as the ‘Capital city of Swallows’ 燕京 yàn jīng. The Chinese phoenix is known as the Fenghuang. See more ideas about chinese symbols, symbols, chinese tattoo. Like the crow, to hear the croak of a raven is generally unlucky but there are some times of day when it is in fact auspicious. The name of phoenix, feng hunag, means “male bird, female bird”. It is associated with yang, the sun and summer. This may explain why they are considered pious and legend says that ravens build burial mounds for distinguished people. Cock fighting ➚ was once a very common sight in China as elsewhere in the world. So peacocks in decoration can represent the wish to become an official. The crane symbolizes health, long-life, happiness, and also good luck. This celestial raven is a messenger of the Queen mother of the West Xi Wangmu. The five birds: crane, phoenix, mandarin duck, heron and wagtail represent the five Confucian relationships; in this case the crane stands for the deference that should be shown by a son to his father. Interestingly, the Vermillion Bird has been considered to be identical to the phoenix. Some say that the bird at the center of the sun is a three-legged cockerel rather than a raven. In the Ming and Qing dynasties the seniority of officials could be judged by the number of peacock feathers he wore in his hat. There are over 170 entries divided between birds, animals, flowers, fruit, nature and miscellaneous. Marco Polo, with his customary exaggeration, describes an excursion of Emperor Kubai Khan took 70,000 attendants with eagles large enough to take away wolves. 2018 is the Year of the Dog, and 2017 was the Year of the Rooster. It is also revered for taking tender care of its young. From a painted Chinese bottle. The phoenix is traditionally associated with fire, and this is also the case with the Vermillion Bird. The pheasant, bred for game shooting in the U.K. and elsewhere, comes from China.