The Chinese have a relatively weak consciousness of religion. To pursue a better fortune and to avoid disaster, and pray for peace and happiness, the Chinese usually create some things which symbolize smoothness and luck and rely less on religion. These can be referred to as mascots.
These mascots take the shape of animals, plants and utensils. The most famous animal mascots include the Kylin, phoenix, dragon and tortoise, which are referred to as “four supernatural creatures” by the ancients.
Among these, only the tortoise is an actual real animal. The other three were created by combining the characteristics of various animals using the imagination.
The kylin is the most senior of the four creatures, and is the mount of God. It has the body of a deer, the feet of a horse, and the tail of a cow. Its body is covered in scales and a shell, with horns on its head, and meaty balls on the horns. In legend, the kylin is a kind of benevolent and virtuous beast. Although it has sharp horns, it never wants to hurt anything, even insects or grass. Emperors of all dynasties regarded it as a symbol of peace and prosperity. Later, as emperors began to pay more and more attention to the dragon, the kylin gradually assumed greater importance in civil society. It was then that the legend of “Kylins helping people have babies” began to spread among the people. The kylin not only helped people have babies, but also blessed them. Therefore, people often put kylin locks around the necks of infants to pray for long life. “Kylin” is often used to indicate an outstanding person. “Kylin Child” is a term used to praise other people’s children. The phrase “phoenix feathers and unicorn’s horn” is a metaphor for a rare and valuable person or thing.
The phoenix is the king of birds -beautiful and noble. Like the kylin, the phoenix only appears in an era of peace and prosperity. It is a symbol of auspiciousness, peace, political openness and fairness, as well as power and dignity. The names of all things related to the empress include the character of “Feng (phoenix)”. They include “phoenix body”, “phoenix crown”, and “phoenix sedan” and so on. Later, in civil society, the bride’s wedding dresses were often decorated with the pattern of phoenix. The phoenix crown on the bride’s head and the pattern of the phoenix on the dresses indicates good fortune and peace. The patterns of “prosperity brought about by the dragon and the phoenix” and “prosperity brought by the phoenix and the kylin” can be formed through the combination of phoenix and other mascots. The character “Feng” (“Phoenix”) can be often found in the names of girls. All Chinese parents hope their children can “become a dragon or phoenix” (“can have a bright future”).
The dragon ranks first among the four supernatural creatures. It has the head of an ox, the horns of a deer, the eyes of a shrimp, the talons of an eagle, the body of a snake, and the tail of a lion. Its whole body is covered in scales. It can walk on land, swim in the water, and fly in the air. It is so divine and magic that it can control the forces of nature. Since the Han Emperor Liu Bang’s (256 BC-195 BC) called himself the incarnation of the dragon, all other emperors followed his lead. The dragon is a symbol of power and dignity. The names of things related to the emperor often contain the character “Long” (“dragon”). They include “Long Yan” (“facial expression”), “Long Ti” (“imperial body”), “Long Pao” (“imperial robe”), and “Long Yi” (“imperial chair”), and so on. Ordinary people also regard the dragon as the embodiment of virtue and strength, and value its ability to control the forces of nature. The character “dragon” can often be seen in the names of boys. During festivals and holidays, people often paddle dragon boats and do the dragon lantern dance, and so on. In addition to authority, it is also a symbol of good luck or wealth. Many people put dragon ornaments in their homes, in particular jade dragons, which are particularly auspicious. The dragon is a symbol of the Chinese nation. All Chinese people around the world regard themselves as descendants of the dragon.