China News Service, Beijing, March 21st, title: From kylin to Hachi, why did the ancients invite these "magic animals" into the Forbidden City?
Author Hao Lingyu
Walking into today’s Forbidden City, whether it is to admire the palace buildings up close or to visit the cultural relics display, the audience can see many "sweet beasts" and "sacred beasts" including unicorns, xiè zhì (xiè zhì) and lu (lù), and even Some tourists made a special trip to the Forbidden City to check in these well-known "animal attractions" that appeared in the palace gates, halls, squares, and eaves.
As a large-scale palace complex and museum, the Forbidden City has long been known to people, but few people know that the Forbidden City also contains many stories about "magic animals".
What is the origin of these "fantastic animals"?
Why did the ancients invite them into the Forbidden City?
These intersecting fields related to the Forbidden City and animal research have entered the field of vision of researchers.
Recently, with the above questions, the reporter walked into the Forbidden City and interviewed Pan Jing (pen name Xiaohai), the author of "Natural History in the Forbidden City".
Pan Jing graduated from the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and later engaged in publishing work. On the basis of in-depth research on the cultural relics "Birds", "Beasts" and "Haicuotu" in the Palace Museum, she compiled and published "Natural History in the Forbidden City" Series of books.
"Actually, many of the'rich beasts and divine beasts' that the audience has entered the Forbidden City to check in today can find their prototypes from the "Pillow Book" "Birds", "Beasts" and "Haicuotu" of Emperor Qianlong." Say.
Emperor Qianlong liked the rich variety of birds, beasts, and marine animals depicted in the book. Together, they reflected a rich and vast China.
Some of the "rich beasts" in the book can become part of the Forbidden City's architectural complex, which is related to the ancient people's understanding of animals.
The lop-eared bronze lion in the Forbidden City photo by Dong Zeyu
Field search for "fantastic animals" in the Forbidden City
"In front of the gate of Cining Palace is a golden unicorn, and we can see a pair of scorpions in the imperial garden." In order to better understand the story of the "magic animals" in the Forbidden City, Pan Jing and the reporter walked into the Forbidden City and started On-site communication.
In ancient China, the kylin was regarded as the head of the four spirits, symbolizing auspiciousness and honor; Hachi is a divine beast that can distinguish right from wrong, and will use a single horn on its head to stand against evil people. The ancients gave it the meaning of impartiality, impartiality and uprightness. .
In addition to appearing in the hall, the figure of the "rich beast" is naturally indispensable in the hall, and the hall of Supreme Harmony is equipped with a banquet.
"Luduan is also a legendary beast. According to legend, it can speak four languages. The display in the hall symbolizes that the emperor has a Dao Mingjun and knows major events in the world." Pan Jing said.
She told reporters that in addition to the creatures mentioned in "Birds" and "Beasts", there are also some sacred beasts in the Forbidden City that are not included in the book, such as the tenth "Xing Shi" on the roof of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The ancients believed that it could transform good luck, eliminate disasters, and even have the effect of lightning protection.
The reporter found that the animal images of some "rich beasts" in the Forbidden City are basically difficult to distinguish their animal prototypes.
Faced with a reporter’s question, Pan Jing said that it was related to the attitude of ancient Chinese towards animals.
"It's not that the ancients didn't understand animals, but they didn't want to describe them in too much detail. If you describe the observations in detail, people would have no room for imagination of animals, and there would be no way to give them a deep meaning."
For example, golden pheasant may be one of the mythological animals by the ancients.
Pan Jing said that one of the archetypes of the "Phoenix" considered by the ancients is the golden pheasant.
It is understood that the ancient Chinese book "Shan Hai Jing" has a record of "It looks like a chicken, and it is called the Phoenix Emperor".
Pan Jing explained, “When the ancients saw the golden pheasant, they thought of related records and regarded it as a sacred bird.” In modern times, the golden pheasant has been thoroughly recognized and it has also been included in the national wildlife protection list. Secondary protected animals.
Bronze lion with vertical ears in the Forbidden City Photo by Dong Zeyu
From the "Swiss Beast" of the Forbidden City to the animal protection around
From the "rich beast" in the Forbidden City to the "phoenix" in the eyes of the ancients, animals played multiple roles in ancient Chinese politics, religion, and philosophy.
For example, some "rich beasts" in the Forbidden City are subject to ritual restrictions and become part of the royal order and even ancient culture.
Two pairs of bronze lions at Taihe Gate and Qianqing Gate are examples.
According to Pan Jing, the bronze lion in front of the Gate of Supreme Harmony is the largest pair of bronze lions in the Forbidden City. It symbolizes the unification of imperial power and the prosperous heirs.
If you look closely, you can see that their ears are erect, quite majestic.
The pair of bronze lions in front of Qianqingmen are smaller and have drooping ears, implying that the harem must not interfere with the government.
"For another example, in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the animal patterns on the official supplementary uniforms are closely related to the ranks of officials. Civil officials use birds and military officials use beasts. Different creatures and different grades are one-to-one correspondence." Pan Jing said that the ancients sometimes took a cultural sense. Understand animals, and then convey ideas.
The "magic animals" in the Forbidden City reflect far more than animal knowledge and ancient history and culture.
Pan Jing said that inviting the "Rui Beast" into the Forbidden City and integrating the "Rui Beast" with the life of the ancients also embodies the ancients' simple understanding of the harmonious coexistence of man and animals, and of man and nature.
There are also many records about protecting animals and protecting nature in ancient Chinese books.
"Mencius·Lianghui King" records: "If you don't violate the farming season, the grains cannot be eaten. You can't enter Zhuochi, and fish and turtles cannot be eaten. Axes enter the mountains and forests in time, and wood and wood cannot be used. "This concept of not going against the weather and protecting nature is not uncommon in ancient classics. The emphasis on biological protection and environmental protection is also a concept that has been passed down by insightful people in ancient China.
Whether it is studying the "rich beasts" in "Birds", "Beasts", and "Haicuotu", or observing and punching in the "Animal World" in the Forbidden City, people can feel the respect of ancient Chinese living in harmony with nature. And sincerity.
Pan Jing suggested that today's people should learn this respect and sincerity from traditional culture, and get along with animals in a better way.
For example, she said that in recent years, the public has raised awareness of animal protection, but sometimes they are still not doing well.
For example, the death of birds flying at night due to light pollution.
Since the epidemic, the number of masks used worldwide has surged, and masks discarded at will may eventually enter the ocean and threaten the survival of marine life.
The World Wide Fund for Nature’s "Life Force Report 2020" shows that the destruction of the natural environment has caused the spread of zoonotic diseases, including the new crown epidemic. In less than half a century, mammals, birds, The global populations of amphibians, reptiles and fish have fallen by about two-thirds on average.
"To live in harmony with animals and nature is part of China's excellent traditional culture, and it should be carried forward today." Pan Jing said, "People should protect animals and nature from a more scientific perspective."
Haechi at the gate of the Imperial Garden of the Forbidden City Photographed by Dong Zeyu
From natural history to erudition
With care and love for living things, when Pan Jing came into contact with "Birds", "Beasts", and "Haicuotu" in the Palace Museum collection, she had the idea of turning books into "natural history" for children.
"Natural history actually reflects all aspects of life, including clothing, food, housing, folklore, mythology, etc., these humanistic knowledge is part of the natural history. And astronomy, geography, nature and other scientific knowledge are also part of the natural history." Pan Jing said The reporter said.
"Everything is connected. A person's cognition should be based on rational thinking and perceptual thinking. The integration of various disciplines makes it easier to agitate cognition and burst innovation." Pan Jing said that for modern people , To understand nature from the perspective of the ancients may be different from the essence of the phenomenon discovered by science today.
However, "The Doctrine of the Mean" also wrote: "Knowledgeable, interrogated, deliberate, discerning, and practised."
The ancients believed that knowledgeable people can understand and understand the essence of things. This simple epistemology actually coincides with natural history in modern science.
"I hope that after you get to know the various creatures in the book, you will also have an understanding of the stories behind them. The science popularization in the book is just for children's "inspiring ideas". I hope that these contents can arouse their interest in independent learning. When they have the opportunity to introduce our country's biology to foreigners, this knowledge can make the children more confident." Pan Jing said.
(Finish)