and I only just remembered about these, but I kept seeing these turtle dragon statues around. I need to research them more but honestly, they're so cute I might just call them my 6th favorite type
@secondhanddragon So, you wanted to know what this is?
I went to search for their information and the creature with the highest probability (so high my confidence level is at 99%) of matching the above is...
金鳌,或称龙龟
Golden Ao, also known as Dragon Turtle
It's classified as a divine turtle (神龟)rather than a dragon; my guess is that since it is not one of the Dragon's Sons, it doesn't count in a traditional bestiary.
It has the shell of a turtle but the body of a dragon, and once again, it's useful in Fengshui. It symbolizes power and wealth.
-----------------------
However! This is not the only turtle-dragon in Chinese mythology. In fact, my Brain's first thought—though we kinda immediately discarded it—was the other one...
赑屃,或称霸下、龟趺
Bixi, also known as Ba Xia ("Dominate Below") and Gui Fu ("Foot Tortoise")
Now this is one of the Dragon's Nine Sons. Bixi is strong; the word 赑 basically means "able to support great weight," but it's not a common word to be used in any stretch. It's the son of the dragon and a tortoise, and later depictions of Bixi gradually show characteristics of a dragon more than its earlier, clearly-tortoise-like features.
How did you rate your confidence level? Why are you sre that the image I showed you was a Dragon Turtle and not a Bixi?
It's the function of Bixi that gave it away!
Bixi is always made to carry steles and important tablets on its back, especially the ones by emperors. The idea is that the deeds and/or names of those recorded on this stele/tablet will live on forever with Bixi, who has the steadfast longevity of a tortoise and the divine power of a dragon.
It possesses quite a few meanings:
power and status; hence its steles are often those of emperors, high chiefs, and whatnot.
longevity, since it is the son of a tortoise
local cultural symbol (local tribal importance)
and mythological symbolism (in Taoism)
One of the myths concerning Bixi is this: Bixi used to carry mountains on its back and wreak chaos through tidal waves. Then, one of China's ancient emperors, Da Yu, subjugated Bixi and made it work under him. Da Yu was known for his Great Flood project—he devoted much of his life to solving it, and in this mythologized version, Bixi was one of those divine creatures who helped*. When the project was over, Da Yu worried that Bixi would return to its old wayward ways, so he created this gigantic stone tablet detailing Bixi's contribution and great deeds and asked Bixi to carry it around. The weight of that tablet caused Bixi to be too sluggish to wreak havoc anymore.
*You might be interested to know that another one who helped Da Yu was "Ying Long (应龙)"—yes, this is a full-fledged dragon.
This is how I'm confident that your image was that of a dragon turtle and not a Bixi.
---
How do I distinguish between a Bixi and Black Tortoise (Xuan Wu 玄武)?
Same deal. It's the stele/tablet. Also, Bixi has teeth. Tortoises do not. Later Bixi has draconic features. Xuan Wu is always... a tortoise! Hahahaha.
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So there you go. I'm most confident that it is a dragon turtle. However, Bixi has more stories to it due to being a Son of the Dragon.
As a rule of heuristics (not statistics; I did not collect data for this), if a Chinese myth creature is found as a small, delicate ornament, it's quite likely that it has connotations in Fengshui. It's the same for Pixiu and Qilin, and the same for dragon turtles too.
Thank you for reading my ramble! I hope it was fun and informative for you!
----
Citations and Links:
"Dragon Turtle" in Wikipedia.
"Bixi" in Wikipedia.
"金鳌 (中国古代神兽)" in Baidu Baike. (In Chinese)
"赑屃(中国古代神兽)" in Baidu Baike. (In Chinese)
Kafka's Notes: I generally don't like Baidu Baike because it lacks citational rigor, so it's hard to trace information to its source. However, it was very useful for me to search for names and preliminary information, so I included it here. Some of the stuff I mentioned (like the Legend of Bixi and Da Yu) was from Baidu Baike; I judged that a folklore is not always recorded in academic sources, so this instance of lacking citational rigor is acceptable.ramble with citations
shén shòu神兽, mythological animals in chinese culture for references and inspiration part Ⅰ: nine offsprings of loong🐲🐉
In addition to the well-known Loong🐉 (dragon but not western dragon)and the Fenghuang(Phoenix), there are countless other divine beasts(or beasts of spiritualization) in Chinese mythology, their system is huge and complex, from various ancient texts and folklore, such as "Loong gives birth to nine offsprings 龙生九子", meaning the nine descendants of Loong and they are born from the mating of Loong and other divine beasts, with different forms, and their images can often be seen in Chinese folk culture.
1. 囚牛[qiú niú]
Qiuniu, the eldest offspring of the dragon, is said to have loved music all his life.
Legend has it that qiuniu was the most docile of all the dragon's sons, and that it was not a killer or a fighter, but rather a musician. It had a head like a dragon and a body like a snake, and its hearing was so good that it could distinguish the sounds and the pitch of everything. It often crouches on ancient Chinese stringed instruments to enjoy the music of the plucked strings, which is why its statue was carved on them. ↓
2. 睚眦[yá zì]
Yazi, the second offspring, has the head of a dragon and the body of a jackal, is fierce, courageous, bloodthirsty and murderous, and always has a sword in its mouth and a furious stare, often engraved on the handle of a sword as a symbol of guardianship and strength. The original meaning of yazi is to stare in anger, a symbol of blood and vengeance, and so yazi became the embodiment of the destruction of all evil. ↓
3. 嘲风[cháo fēng]
Chaofeng is the third in line and enjoys adventure and views from high places.
In Chinese folklore, chaofeng symbolises good fortune, beauty and majesty, and also serves to deter demons, remove calamities and ward off evil spirits. It adds a layer of mystery to a towering hall and can act as a deterrent to evil and avoid disaster. ↓
4. 蒲牢[pú láo]
Pulao loves sound and a good roar, and is often carved on the great bells of Chinese temples. Legend has it that the pulao lived by the sea and was terrified of whales. When the whale attacked, he was so frightened that he roared loudly.
In response to its 'fondness for roaring', the pulao was cast on the bell of the temple and the wooden pestle used to strike the bell was carved in the shape of the whale. When the bell is struck, the whale strikes the pulao one after the other, so that the sound of the bell can be heard from very far. ↓
5. 狻猊 [suān ní]
Resembling a lion, suanni is a quiet and immobile creature that sits well and loves fireworks, and is often used to decorate the foot of incense burners.
There are three broad uses for the suanni. One is as a mount for a Buddha or Bodhisattva, a guardian animal. Legend has it that the suanni liked to sit quiet for long time, so when the Buddha saw that it had patience, he took it as a mount. Secondly, the suanni was regarded as a auspicious beast to ward off evil and was introduced into people's practical lives, and was gradually used extensively in architectural decoration, folklore festivals and bronze mirror decoration. Thirdly, it was used to ward off evil spirits, to guard tombs, and to guard palace gates and mansions. In view of the supreme power of the Buddhist kung fu 'lion's roar', suanni stone sculptures were used in the Sui and Tang dynasties to guard tombs to ward off evil spirits or to symbolise authority. ↓
6. 赑屃[bì xì]
Bixi is one of the nine sons of the dragon in ancient Han mythology, also known as baxia霸下 and ranked sixth. It has a tortoise-like appearance and likes to carry heavy loads on its back, often carrying stone monuments for years.
Bixi is often used as a base for stone monuments, and is of great cultural importance. Its symbolism is based on 'longevity and good fortune' and has connotations of status, totem worship and witchcraft. ↓
7. 狴犴bì àn, also known as Charter, is loong's seventh offspring. It looks like a tiger, very powerful, and enjoy living a litigious life. The tiger head decoration on the prison door is Bian.
Ancient scripture《龙经》notes: "Bian likes to argue, and it has a name called charter." It is said that Bian is not only loyal to justice, but also able to distinguish right from wrong and judge justly. In addition to its majestic appearance, bian is not only decorated on the prison door, but also lying on both sides of the ancient government hall. Whenever the magistrate sits in the hall, Bian’s image is on the top of the title board and the silence board. Bian looks around fiercely to maintain the solemn integrity of the court.
Bian is both the symbol of prison and the patron saint of ordinary people. In 上虞区上浦镇冯浦村, shaoxing, zhejiang province, there are the cultural custom of 'Bian Loong dance狴犴龙舞', which had local characteristics and are deeply welcomed by the local people. ↓
8. 负屃[fù xì ]
The fuxi is the eighth offspring born to the dragon in ancient Chinese mythology. Its body resembles that of a dragon and it has a gentle disposition, preferring to coil around the head of a stone monument. It is a lover of literature and calligraphy and likes to coil around the tops of stone monuments with beautiful inscriptions. It is usually seen together with the bixi, which carries the monument, and the fuxi coils around the top of the monument. ↓
9. 螭吻 or 鸱吻 [chī wěn]
It is generally considered to be the ninth offspring of the dragon. It likes to swallow things and is said to be able to devour everything, as seen on the head of the beast on the roof of a Chinese palace. Chiwen likes to look around and is carved to look like it is swallowing the roof with its mouth open, and often has a sword stuck in its back.
Legend has it that chiwen can spout waves and send down heavy rain, ward off fires and drive away spirits and demons. So Chinese folk asked it to watch over the horizontal ridges of houses. It likes to climb high and look down, so it is regarded as an ornament in folklore to pray for rain and to ward off fire. Chiwen is the child of a dragon and a fish, so its head is a dragon's head but its body is in the shape of a fish. ↓
ETA: This post is outdated. It turns out Azhdaha’s concept is taken from crocodile, alligator snapping turtle, komodo dragon and Stegosaurus. You can watch MHY’s Birth of a Dragon video here.
Azhdaha, the boss coming in Genshin V1.5, reminds me more of a turtle than a dragon. My first thought about his inspiration is Xuanwu (the black tortoise of the north of the four sacred beasts), but then I remembered the nine sons of the Dragon King, which seems to bear more similarity.
In Chinese mythology, one of the nine sons of the Dragon King is a dragon with the shell of a turtle. The name is Bixi (赑屃). Bixi has teeth and is known to have tremendous strength. Sculptures of Bixi can be found in temples and are rubbed for wealth and fortune.
“Harvest time, harvest time, hei-yo hei-yo harvest time!”
news
— New translated chapter posted.
— Next update target: May 3, 2022
notes
— Harvest time:
Originally 拔萝卜 from 嘿哟嘿哟拔萝卜 (hēi yō hēi yō bá luó bo), a line from a nursery song. Its meaning: Hei-yo, hei-yo, pulling up radishes.
Why does Yang Guo sing about radishes when his garden is full of carrots? Well, carrots are not native to China. in Mandarin, a carrot is a “red radish” or “foreign radish”. I expressed this in English as “harvest time” to focus on the harvesting aspect of the nursey rhyme while sidestepping the radish/carrot identity crisis.
— Baxia:
From 霸下 (bà xià). One of the nine children of the Dragon King in Chinese mythology. Alternatively known as 赑屃 (bì xì). A sort of hybrid turtle-dragon entity, often depicted carrying very heavy things.
Giant Bìxì (赑屃) of Purple Mountain, a Chinese mythological creature known as the eldest son of Dragon King’s nine sons. Bìxì represents good luck, longevity, prosperity and strength. 📷: @eazytraveler . . . #explorechina #discoverchina #chinawanderer #travel #traveling #traveler #adventure #adventurejunkie #trekking #hiking #bixi #dragonturtle #purplemountain #nanjing #jiangsu #china #travelgram #rvvlich (at Purple Mountain)
美国球赛电视转播赞助商很多,比较重要的是啤酒和批萨行业。今天职业橄榄球的指定赞助商 Papa John's 批萨连锁店承认其销售额因为球员国歌抗议而大受影响,决定削减广告赞助。接下来会有更多的商家公布类似结果。华尔街分析员此前已经对转播球赛的电视台盈利趋向发出过警告。
方舟子?Verified account
@fangshimin
Nov 1
方舟子 Retweeted Eddie Cheng
约翰爸爸披萨的CEO是川普支持者,把公司业绩不佳导致股价大跌乱怪罪,这下引起消费者抵制更惨了。他的逻辑莫名其妙。如果怪NFL收视率下降,但降幅可忽略不计,从去年1587万降为1510万,受互联网冲击电视收视率本来就一直在降,怪不到国歌下跪。难道是怪观众看到下跪没心思吃披萨?
Replying to @65764721Cbsy49 @fangshimin
在每一个400年至800年的周期中,又有周期为50-100年的小循环,温度变动的幅度为0.5℃~1℃;此外,他还发现,气候的历史波动是世界性的 - 百年正是小循环,现是波幅最大值,看接下来气温变化,我觉得人类活动也是自然活动的一部分,一个火山爆发洋流变化什么的破坏力比人类大多了。
方舟子?Verified account
@fangshimin
Nov 4
方舟子 Retweeted Huangjunhua
不相信当代主流科学家根据多方面无数新证据做出的共识,把一个老科学家几十年前过时的看法当回事,你以为科学是宗教?
Huangjunhua?
@huangjunhuahjh
Replying to @fangshimin
目前这个共识也是对这个老科学家其中某些观点的印证,还没达到否定。另,科学家观点跟对错有关,跟他个人老不老,他想法产生的年代无关,我把这观点当回事又怎么了?!你问我“以为科学是宗教”,我倒很想反问你,你以为科学是时尚?
方舟子?Verified account
@fangshimin
Nov 5
方舟子 Retweeted Huangjunhua
那个老科学家说气候变化有自然周期,现在的主流观点认为百年来全球变暖不是自然周期,而是人类活动造成,你连这种区别都看不出来?科学发展是日新月异的,当然也可说是时尚,国外科学界不仅没人会把几十年前一本没经同行评议的专著当回事,十几年前的论文都很少有人会引用。
蛋撻王子何金水?
@dantawangzihe
Nov 5
人类的活动是否有能力使得地球变暖?
richard wangson?
@richardwangson
Replying to @dantawangzihe @fangshimin
你是觉得这么多世界主流气象专家不如你聪明还是拥有的知识和数据没你多?你觉得这些专家连你这样一个门外汉都想到的这么简单的问题都疏于考虑的概率有多大?你也太高估自己了吧?像你这种朴素到极点的思维正是永动机、水变油、反转基因、中医拥趸之必备。医治药方就是认真接受方先生的科普多看科学书籍
方舟子?Verified account
@fangshimin
Nov 5
方舟子 Retweeted richard wangson
你再问下去他们就要说全世界主流气象专家都是“白左”。
蛋撻王子何金水?
@dantawangzihe
Replying to @fangshimin
我觉得再怎样温室,一到夜晚气温都下降了,还是太阳对地球的温度影响更大。如果彻底遮住太阳,地球就成冰了。
方舟子?Verified account
@fangshimin
Nov 5
方舟子 Retweeted 蛋撻王子何金水
申报诺贝尔奖不?
Replying to @Baoquan5 @fangshimin and 2 others
川普干预司法肯定没道理,但这位被洗脑的士兵让美国出了很大代价,大概为了救他牺牲了7位特种兵,是拯救大兵瑞恩的翻版,而且奥巴马用11个恐怖分子交换,结果涅发现他是自己离开营地,不是被劫持的。我问过好几位退伍的同学,大多不能原谅他欺骗和判国,但从他遭劫持被精神病看,再难也应该原谅??
方舟子?Verified account
@fangshimin
Nov 4
方舟子 Retweeted
别被川粉散布的那些俄国人造的谣言误导了。这个士兵有心理疾病,不是被洗脑,为解救他有人受伤,最重的一个失去说话能力,没人牺牲。是用5个而不是11个塔利班俘虏换的。
Peter Z?
@PeterZ12125242
Replying to @fangshimin
这个士兵是叛逃到Taliban那里的、而且有几个美军为营救他伤亡、确实有点过分。轻判法官有点故意和川普对着干的意思、不过政府还可以上诉、要求改正。
方舟子?Verified account
@fangshimin
Nov 4
方舟子 Retweeted Peter Z
别川普说叛逃就跟着说叛逃,连控方都没说他叛逃。有士兵为了营救他有受伤的,没有阵亡的,那是川粉造谣。总统干预司法,妨碍司法公正,甚至可以直接销案。控方不能上诉,开除的自动进入上诉程序,上诉庭不加刑只能减刑是常识。学点法律知识再发议论。
EmiyaGuang?
@EmiyaGuang
Replying to @fangshimin
厉害,下次川普只要把政令反着说就一定能得到白左们的贯彻执行了
方舟子?Verified account
@fangshimin
Nov 4
方舟子 Retweeted EmiyaGuang
连军事法庭的法官都成了白左,在这些政治精神病眼中不尿川普的都是白左。
jimiwong?
@hellosweet77888
Replying to @fangshimin
法官可以不鸟总统:这样的国家,为什么被朝鲜统治者讥讽为暮落之国度???
方舟子?Verified account
@fangshimin
Nov 4
方舟子 Retweeted jimiwong
在金三看来,美国总统连法官都管不了,当然没落。
Ce week-end a été assez calme, en réalité. Je me suis principalement intéressée à la visite de quelques monuments (histoire de dire que je ne passe pas mon temps à faire la fête).
Après la visite de la Cité Interdite 故宫 gùgōng, samedi donc, je suis allée au Lama Temple 雍和宫 yōnghé gōng avec tout un groupe de ma classe.
Lama Temple, késako ?! Selon Lonely Planet (histoire d’avoir des sources un peu plus sérieuses que wiki) :
« Si vous n’avez le temps de voir qu’un seul temple, choisissez celui-là. Des fresques et des toits merveilleux, de magnifiques arches décoratives, des tapisseries, des menuiseries impressionnantes, des moulins à prières tibétains, des statues tantriques et un couple de superbes lions chinois, le tout baignant dans d’épais nuages d’encens, le composent. Temple bouddhique tibétain le plus renommé hors du Tibet, le temple des lamas, ancienne résidence de l’empereur Yong Zheng 雍正帝 yōngzhēng, devint lamaserie en 1744. Aujourd’hui, le temple est un lieu de culte très fréquenté attirant des pèlerins venus de loin, dont certains se prosternent dans ses salles. »
Ça résume assez bien, avouons-le ! Le Lama Temple est tout simplement sublime et très impressionnant de part ses édifices gigantesques. Il y a tout de même un Bouddha de plus de six mètres de haut !
Et effectivement, beaucoup de personnes se prosternent dans les temples, en allumant de l’encens. Je ne savais d’ailleurs pas que l’encens tenait une place aussi importante dans le bouddhisme. Pour moi, il s’agissait juste de brindilles à cramer dans sa chambre pour faire cool (jusqu’au moment où on y met le feu). Bref, une délicieuse odeur règne dans le Temple, souvent accompagnée de douces prières et de mélopées.
Compter 25 yuans pour entrer et vous aurez en prime un petit CD avec des photos.
Après ça, nous sommes allées voir le Temple de Confucius 北京孔庙 Běijīng Kǒngmiào. Un petit descriptif, toujours de Lonely Planet :
« A deux pas du Lama Temple, le Temple de Confucius qui a été rénové avant les Jeux Olympiques n’a rien perdu de son aura. Certains des derniers páilou 牌楼 de Béijing survivent courageusement dans le hútòng 胡同 au-dehors tandis que des bìxì 赑屃 (animal mythologique mi-tortue mi-dragon) antédiluviens lancent des regards furieux depuis les pavillons repeints. De vieux cyprès noueux griffent le ciel tandis qu’à l’arrière, une forêt de 190 stèles affiche les treize classiques confucéens en 630 000 caractères chinois (rien que ça). »
Plus cher que le Lama Temple et très semblable, je n’ai pas été très emballée par ce monument. A faire si vous avez le temps, sinon passez votre chemin.
Après un rapide déjeuner, nous avons décidé de rejoindre quelques autres amis qui disputaient un tournois.
Et je le crie donc haut et fort, j’ai des preuves irréfutables. Je dois te l’annoncer Pat’, accroche-toi à ta chaise et cache les yeux d’Al. MAIS LE FOOTBALL EXISTE BEL ET BIEN ! Ça t’embouche un coin, hein ? Ouais, ouais, y a de vraies personnes qui jouent au football (et qui se tapent dessus sans qu’on sache trop pourquoi).
Bon, tout le monde connaît ma passion pour le foot. Je dirais donc que le seul intérêt de ce sport, pour moi, est de voir des beaux joueurs brésiliens/espagnols à la peau caramel jouer torse nu… Manque de pot, il faisait un froid de canard et aucun joueurs dénudés (pour la prochaine fois, me souffle-t-on à l’oreille… Qué prochaine fois ? Je remets plus les pieds sur un terrain de foot, sacrilège !).
L’avantage de cette escapade, c’est que j’ai découvert que Kingsland existe en Chine. Je suis saaaaaauuuuuuuuvée ! Ô merci Bon Dieu !
Comme il nous a fallu presque une heure et demi en boîte à sardines transport en commun pour atteindre ce fichu stade de foot, nous avons décidé de prendre un taxi pour rentrer… Ahahaha, la belle idée, en plein rush time ! Nous avons mis un temps fou pour rentrer et j’ai bien cru qu’on allait percuter quelque chose ou quelqu’un ! Mais non, nous sommes toujours en vie !
Aujourd’hui, j’ai testé ma première leçon de Yoga. Pour moi, le Yoga c’était une étrange danse de hippies (certifiés 100% bio) avec des grands gestes étranges. En réalité, pas du tout… Enfin, si, on fait tout de même des grands gestes où on a l’air particulièrement débiles mais cela demande beaucoup de souplesse et d’équilibre… C’est marrant, c’est tout ce qui me manque !
Nous devions être une quinzaine, j’étais la seule étrangère, forcément. Autant vous dire qu’avec mes cheveux blonds, je détonnais… au moins autant que l’unique homme qui était avec nous ! C’est d’ailleurs incroyable comme les Asiatiques sont fines et souples… Mais que fait donc le syndicat des filles-normales-aux-grosses-cuisses-et-souples-comme-un-bout-de-bois ?! Il faut porter plainte, les mettre au bûcher, leur tondre les cheveux… Que sais-je moi !
Bref, c’était, au final, une activité très sympa, qui pour un essai, ne m’a rien coûté. C’est passé très vite et on en ressort très détendu. Je pense que je vais m’y inscrire pour six mois, on verra pour la suite !