Unique animals and birds in traditional Chinese culture

As we know there are variety of animals and birds that have propitious connotations in our tranditional culture. Here are some of them...

Dragon -- a magical creature in ancient Chinese legends. It has the antlers of the deer, the head of the horse, the ears of the ox, the eyes of the rabbit, the body of the snake, the scales of the fish, the feet of the deer, and the claws of the eagle. Ancient Chinese believed that dragon is endowed with magical power. It is not only able to fly in the sky, to summon clouds and rain, but also to dispel disasters and evils.The dragon owned supernatural powers , thus, it has considered as an auspicious animal that can bring good luck and happiness to people. when the dragon appears, it shows the omen of peace and prosperity...Since ancient times,Chinese people have made dragon as their totem and claimed themselves to be the descendants of the dragon.

Phoenix -- A mythical bird originated in the totemic worship of primitive societies.The image of it is a combination of a rooster's head, a swallow's jaw, a snake's neck, an eagle's talons, a fish's tail,and a peacock's feather, which can be said to be the incarnation of the combining beauty of many animals.Feng Huang ( phoenix) is the collective name of the male (Feng ) and female (Huang ) of such bird.Since ancient times, Phoenix has been the symbol that the whole world is at peace. It is very fond of sunlight and flame,Phoenix can call on,fly toward and even carry the sun,so it's also called the Fire bird or Fire Spirit.

The Dragon and Phoenix are together treated as the sign and symbol of the Chinese nation since ancient time.

Crane -- Chinese rare bird, but among its varieties, the red-crowned crane is the most important role in our traditional culture .It always been regarded as the Head of Birds. The white feather and a small red patch on its head,which looks like a bright red drop with a great contrast against the white feather,Because of its slender body, elegant behavior and clear tweeting , It was seen as a unique immortal bird by the ancients. In addition,crane's white feather can remind people of the silver hair of the elderly, so it is regarded as a symbol of auspiciousness and longevity.People often use the idiom of Crane Hair and Child Face to describe vigorous and long-lived seniors.

Magpie -- A very common bird in China, Magpie doesn't like damp climate but likes dry, sunny days, which will make it jump and tweet happily.It is a sacred bird which has a ability to predict what will happen and react in advance,including weather forecasting.Ancient people had become accustomed to see magpie's chirping as a harbinger of the coming good things...

There is a forklore saying on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month each year (Chinese Valentine's Day), magpies will fly the sky and form a magpie bridge on the Milky Way,allowing Niu Lang and Zhi Nyu, a couple separated by the Milky Way to meet each other.Therefore,the Magpie Bridge is regarded as a symbol of the marriage between men and women. Till now ,people still like to use the paper-cut with magpie pattern to decorate their wedding room.