Questions from East and West · Decoding the Year of the Rabbit | Zhao Yanlin: Why is the millennium mural "Three Rabbits with Ears" famous in both China and the West?

　　Editor's note:

　　"All things greet the spring and send off the wax, and the end of the year is tonight."

The traditional Chinese Spring Festival of the Year of the Rabbit is approaching, and people who have been tested by the epidemic have hope.

Starting from January 18, 2023, China News Agency's "East and West Questions" column has launched a series of articles "Decoding the Year of the Rabbit" to explore the meaning and influence of Spring Festival culture and "Shuanglichun".

　　China News Agency, Dunhuang, January 20th: Why is the millennium mural "Three Rabbits with Ears" famous in China and the West?

　　——Interview with Zhao Yanlin, deputy research librarian of Dunhuang Academy

　　China News Agency reporter Ding Si

　　As the Spring Festival of the Year of the Rabbit approaches in the Chinese lunar calendar, adorable rabbit shapes emerge in endlessly.

The "Three Rabbits with One Ear" picture in the murals of Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes in China has survived for more than a thousand years. It depicts three rabbits sharing three ears and chasing in circles. This may be the most distinctive rabbit shape in the world.

This pattern also appears in Pakistani terracotta reliefs, Syrian polychrome ceramics, stained glass in European churches, and even some modern Western buildings.

　　What is the origin of the creation of "Three Rabbits with Ears" and what does it mean?

Why is it widely recognized in China and the West?

Zhao Yanlin, an associate research librarian at the Dunhuang Academy, recently accepted an exclusive interview with China News Agency's "Dongxiwen".

Video: [West Questions] Zhao Yanlin: Why is the millennium mural "Three Rabbits with Ears" famous in both China and the West?

The interview transcript is summarized as follows:

China News Agency reporter: How many patterns of "Three Rabbits with Ears" exist in the murals of Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang?

How do they differ in shape and pattern?

　　Zhao Yanlin: The decorative pattern of "Three Rabbits with Ears" is widely distributed throughout the Eurasian continent along the ancient Silk Road. It is known that the earliest example of this pattern exists in the murals of the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang.

Judging from the distribution of time, the "three rabbits with ears" in the murals originated in the early Sui Dynasty, became popular in the early Tang and middle and late Tang dynasties, and finally died out in the Five Dynasties.

　　A total of 20 caves with this pattern were found in Mogao Grottoes.

Among them, 17 are drawn in the patterns of caissons in caves, 4 are decorative patterns on the fence walls of Tiangong, and one is drawn in the pattern of caissons and tents. There are 22 places in total, and the caves of the Sui Dynasty accounted for the most, with a total of 9 pictures.

　　Generally speaking, such patterns were still raw in the early Sui Dynasty, but they were extremely prosperous in the middle and late Sui Dynasty. The caisson pattern of "three rabbits with ears" in Cave 407 is considered to be an outstanding representative of this pattern, and it is also the most familiar to the public. one piece.

Mogao Grottoes Cave 407 "Three Rabbits with Ears" caisson pattern.

Photo courtesy of Dunhuang Academy

　　The main body of the "three rabbits with one ear" pattern is a circle, and the three rabbits are evenly distributed in an equilateral triangle. Two pairs share one ear, running clockwise or counterclockwise, chasing each other, end to end, full of movement , beautiful shape.

The rabbits in the early patterns were mostly white, and black, taupe and other colors gradually appeared in the Tang Dynasty.

China News Agency reporter: Why is the pattern three rabbits?

What's the meaning?

　　Zhao Yanlin: "Three" has a special meaning in traditional Chinese culture.

The "Tao Te Ching" says, "One life is two, two is three, and three is all things." The three rabbits have the meaning of reciprocating and multiplying.

The "three" is consistent with the Buddhist Nirvana thought. The three rabbits are like "past life", "present life" and "afterlife", which means "circulation" and "reincarnation".

　　At the same time, in the eyes of the ancients, the connotation of "rabbit" is also very rich.

In the Western Jin Dynasty, Zhang Hua's "Natural History" Volume 4 "Physical Nature" said: "A rabbit licks a centimeter and looks at the moon to conceive, and spits out a child." Also." The ancients believed that all rabbits in the world are female, only the rabbits in the moon are male, and the rabbits have a strong reproductive ability, which has been a symbol of many children and blessings since ancient times.

In the Western Jin Dynasty, Fu Xuan's "Nian Tian Wen" said: "What is there in the moon, and the white rabbit smashes medicine", and also said: "The moon is cloudy water, and the shape of a white rabbit".

The ancients believed that the moon is "yin water" or the incarnation of the white rabbit, so "Sui Shu·Astronomical Records" said: "The moon is the essence of the sun, and it matches the sun, and it is also the image of the heroine."

Therefore, the image of the rabbit in the caisson pattern also has the connotations of "moon god" and "yin water", which is an extension of "use water to overcome fire".

　　In addition, since the Han and Wei Dynasties, the idea of ​​prophecy and auspiciousness has been extremely popular, and there is a tradition of offering "auspiciousness" to the imperial court.

White deer, rabbits, etc. are rare in the world, and they are symbols of auspiciousness and auspiciousness.

After the war between the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, the population declined relatively in the early Sui Dynasty. Many children, many blessings, and endless life became the simple expectations of ordinary people.

The caisson is the most central location in the Mogao Grottoes. The pattern of "three rabbits with ears" is drawn in the most central caisson, which also entrusts the good wishes of the cave masters.

The wall pattern of "Three Rabbits with Ears" in Cave 302 of Mogao Grottoes is the earliest known example of this pattern.

Photo courtesy of Dunhuang Academy

China News Agency reporter: What is the origin of "Three Rabbits with Ears", and what are the characteristics of its creative techniques?

　　Zhao Yanlin: The research found that the pattern of "three rabbits with ears" is very close to the patterns of ancient Chinese traditional culture. For example, similar decorative patterns appeared on painted pottery and jade wares of the Neolithic Age in China, and appeared on copper Dungai and lacquer wares of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods. The most prominent ones are the three geese patterns on the tiles of the Han Dynasty, and the three fish with the head pattern on the stone reliefs.

　　Its creative technique is the traditional Chinese "symbiosis", that is, to superimpose and overlap the same parts of two or more identical modeling elements, so as to form a new figure without destroying the integrity of the single structure.

Among the pattern works of Chinese dynasties, there are a large number of symbiotic patterns, and the connotations are mostly related to the reproduction of life and blessing.

　　The "symbiotic" creative technique of "Three Rabbits with Ears" also embodies the traditional Chinese view of the universe.

The ancient Chinese attached great importance to astronomy and worshiped astrology. The "three rabbits with one ear" has the shadow of the "three circles and three directions" universe model since the Qin and Han Dynasties. The philosophical concept of round place and harmony between man and nature.

Mogao Grottoes Cave 305 "Three Rabbits with Ears" caisson pattern and its "three circles and three directions universe model" structure diagram.

Photo courtesy of Dunhuang Academy

China News Agency reporter: Is there any conclusion on the transmission path of "Three Rabbits with One Ear"?

Why is this pattern recognized in Western society?

　　Zhao Yanlin: Dunhuang is a hub city of the ancient Silk Road and an important commercial and cultural center, where the world's four major civilizations and three major religions meet, and the exchanges and blending of different ethnic groups and cultures are important features of the areas along the Silk Road.

The earliest surviving pattern of "three rabbits with ears" appeared in Dunhuang.

　　Many scholars believe that this pattern spread from east to west in China, and it is based on the traditional culture of ancient China.

Some scholars speculate that it originated in the Central Plains, and then spread from Dunhuang to Mongolia, India, and Central Asia along the Silk Road during the Western Expedition of the Mongolian Empire, and then spread from Central Asia and West Asia to Egypt and European countries in Africa.

Some scholars have also suggested that it was the war that brought it to Western society.

　　Where did the pattern originate and why was it brought to the West?

There is no conclusion yet, but one thing is certain. Many peoples in the world have legends about a rabbit in the moon.

　　Over time, the "three rabbits with one ear" appeared on the molded glass of the Islamic medallion, the metal plate of Afghanistan, the tray of Iran, the tile painting of Kuwait, the clocks of the German church, the glass windows of the English church, and became a local religion. The decorations in culture and people's daily life are still in use today.

Relief sculpture of "Three Rabbits with Ears" at the Saidu Sharif site in Swat, Pakistan (9th-11th centuries).

From "The Amazing Journey of the Three Hares".

Photo provided by the interviewee

　　What does this pattern mean to Western people?

Some Western scholars have conducted investigations, and even a special team has published research collections such as "The Miraculous Journey of the Three Hares". They believe that "this picture has mysterious power" and can bring people infinite reverie and auspicious meaning.

From this point of view, whether in China or in the West, people's recognition of the charm of art and their wish for a better life are interlinked.

(Finish)

Expert profile:

　　Zhao Yanlin was born in Gangu County, Gansu Province.

Associate Research Librarian of the Institute of Archaeology, Dunhuang Academy.

Published more than 20 papers and 3 books in journals such as "Dunhuang Studies", "Natural Dialectics Research", "Art Design Research".

The main research fields are Chinese traditional culture and grotto art. He has published 5 research papers on "Three Rabbits with Ears" in journals such as "Journal of Northwest University for Nationalities" (Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition) and "Comparative Folklore Research" in Japan.

Presided over 4 research projects including the National Social Science Fund Project and Gansu Provincial Social Science Planning General Project, and participated in a number of research projects such as the National Social Science Fund Major Project, the National Social Science Fund Unpopular Team Project, and the National Social Science Fund General Project.