From the heart of China

Every country boasts of its own legends, folklore and traditions. Of the countless cultures in the world, the most popular would be those of India , Egypt , Rome and China . These age-old cultures are known to the rest of the world through their stories, architecture and way of life and the natives are living proof of their traditions and practices that are centuries-old.

China has a rich culture that is fascinating to study. On a recent journey to Beijing , I had an opportunity to better understand some of the significant aspects of their traditions and beliefs. Here I have attempted to touch upon some of those that interested me.

The dragon would be the first image that springs into our minds as we think of China . It is the most sacred of their animals and its popularity in Chinese architecture and Feng-Shui has made it almost synonymous with the Imperial culture itself. The Chinese have an interesting belief that that dragons as roof-guardians bestow power and protection to the inhabitants. Hence, dragons of various forms and structures ornament every visible spot in the Forbidden City in Beijing where the emperor, the most powerful man in China resided. He was entitled to three thousand concubines who were all housed in the Imperial palace which had 9999 rooms in all.

The palace has several water dragons, fire dragons, earth dragons and more variety; however the most interesting was a dragon-headed turtle. The turtle symbolizes longevity. Hence this depiction of the dragon-turtle combination blessed the head of the house; in this case the emperor, with power, wealth, prosperity and long life. 

 

  

Guardian lions sculpted in stone were another popular figure in the palatial grounds. A significant point in this regard is that China has no lions. These figures were sculpted based on the narrations of Buddhists who came from India and spoke of the power and strength of the lions to the Chinese. They took to the belief that the lions being the strongest of the animals, when positioned in the imperial grounds would prove guardians to the emperor while also endowing him with power.

 

 

Traditional Chinese medicine is the popular form of medicine practiced in China, amusingly, it is said to have its roots in Africa since the original oriental people were black. It is entirely based on the principle of yin and yang, which are the complementary parts of energy and their medicines restore the balance between the two for a healthy body and mind. A trained practitioner can diagnose the patient’s illness by just studying his pulse. Traditional Chinese medicine is mainly herbal. Here is a bizarre fact regarding some Chinese delicacies in ancient time. Until recently, tigers and monkeys were popularly preyed for their meat. Our guide told us that monkeys were largely killed for their brain. When eaten raw, it was believed to impart longevity and youth. The tiger being a very powerful animal, its meat endowed the same quality to the person who fed on it. Thankfully, the extent of these weird practices has diminished considerably, present day interests would be snakes and pigs.

 

 

The jade is the most valuable of minerals to the Chinese and finds its place in accessories, jewelry and even sculptures. The Chinese believe that the jade has healing and magical properties. Though available in several colors, the green colored ones are the most popular. Women wear it on the left hand, they believe that the jade improves the blood circulation as well as pacifies the mind. It is also said that the color of the jade changes according to the aura of the possessor and that constant use imparts greater sheen and deeper color to the jade. Jade bracelets are often considered a family heirloom passed on from generation to generation.

Concluding on a lighter note, here is the story a native narrated regarding the Chinese calendar in animal years. Centuries ago, people in China started the system of animal years where each year was designated to one of 12 animals which were believed to protect all newborn babies born during that year from evil. Thus twelve animals namely the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and the pig were picked to represent 12 years which form a cycle. Legend has it that these animals raced across a river to set their position in the cycle based on their place in the race. Before the race began, the rat jumped on the ox’s back and just as the ox was finishing the race, the rat jumped forward and won it. Hence the rat came first, the ox second, the rest of the animals followed and the pig came last.