a marriage it is necessary to have a go-between; hence the axe has become symbolic of the marriage go-between.
It is one of the weapons or insignia pertaining to some of the Buddhist deities, and it is also the emblem of Lü Bān (魯班), a famous mechanic, who lived in the State of Lü about 500 B.C., and is now worshipped as the God of Carpenters.
Azalea
(杜嶋花)
“The Chinese botanists having observed that several Ericaceous and Solanaceous plants, having stamens whose anthers open by pores at the apex, are strongly narcotic, have lumped together species of Azalea, Andromeda, Rhododendron and Hyoscyamus under this heading.”16 The principal varieties are the nàoyánghuā (鬧羊花), or yángzhízhú, (羊歸獨), lit.: “goat-stupefying flower,” a species of Hyoscyamus; the Azalea procumbens or “tiger flower” (老虎花), and the Azalea pontica (
In the north-eastern provinces the hills are adorned with azaleas of gorgeous hue, especially in the neighbourhood of Ningpo and Wenchow. It is difficult to convey any idea of the charming aspect of these azalea-clad mountains, where on every side the eye rests on masses of flowers of dazzling brightness and surpassing beauty.
Prophylactic properties are attributed to the dried flowers of these handsome but poisonous plants, which are prescribed in rheumatism, paralysis, bronchitis, toothache, abscess, etc., on the Chinese principle that one poison must be counteracted by another.
The azalea is a great favourite, and provides a brilliant motif in painting and artistic decoration. It is an emblem of the fair sex.
Bamboo
(竹)
The bamboo, Bambusa arundinacea, commonly known as “the friend of China,” grows throughout the greater part of the country. By long cultivation and care, it has become sufficiently hardy to grow as far north as Peking. There are about ten species, but many variations of each. Some specimens attain a diameter of two or three feet and a height of some thirty or forty feet. The Spotted Bamboo (斑竹), is said to be marked with the tears of the two consorts of the Emperor Shùn as they wept over his tomb in the land of Cang Wu. The Spiny Bamboo (棘竹), attains a large size. The Coir Bamboo (掠竹), is solid-stemmed and used in the manufacture of fans. The Zhúpû (竹譜), or Bamboo Treatise, published in the 3rd or 4th century, gives a detailed account of the bamboo, and its uses in ancient times. The young shoots (竹荀) serve as food, the pulp in the manufacture of paper, the stems for pipes, buckets, masts, furniture, etc., the leaves for rain-coats, thatch, packing, etc., and decoctions of the seeds, leaves, sap, and roots are employed for medicinal purposes. In ancient times bamboo tablets were used instead of books.
The Chinese are exceedingly fond of borrowing figures and illustrations from the bamboo, and the character zhú, by which the tree is represented, enters into the composition of many characters expressing some action or object connected with the use of the bamboo. The foliage is often conventionally treated in Chinese designs. The bamboo is an emblem of longevity owing probably to its durability, and to the fact that it is evergreen and flourishes throughout the winter.
One of the twenty-four classical examples of filial piety, had a sick mother, who longed for soup made from bamboo shoots in winter, and he wept so copiously on her account in a bamboo plantation that his tears, like the warm rains of Spring, softened the hard wintry ground and caused the tender shoots to burst forth, in reward for his pious affection.
Bat
(幅編)
The biānfú (編幅)—under which term is included all the numerous kinds of bats—has several names. It is called fùyì (附翼), or “embracing wings,” referring to the manner in which it spreads out and hangs by its wings. Other names are tiānshû (天鼠), “heavenly rat”; xiānshû (仙鼠), “fairy rat”; fèishû (飛鼠), “flying rat”; and yèyàn (夜燕),“night swallow,” etc.
Bats play an important part in Chinese legendary lore. According to the Bên Câo (本草), or Chinese Herbal, in the caverns of the hills are found bats a thousand years old, and white as silver, which are believed to feed on stalactites, and if eaten will ensure longevity and good sight. The blood, gall, wings, etc., are therefore prescribed as ingredients in certain medicines. The Bên Câo also states that “the bat is in form like a mouse; its body is of an ashy black colour, and it has thin fleshy wings, which join the four legs and tail into one. It appears in the summer, but becomes torpid in the winter; on which account, as it eats nothing during that season, and because it has a habit of swallowing its breath, it attains a great age. It has the character of a night rover, not on account of any lack of ability to fly in the day, but it dares not go abroad at that time because it fears a kind of hawk. It subsists on mosquitoes and gnats. It flies with its head downward, because the brain is heavy.”
Some of the Chinese bats are very large, the wings measuring two feet across. There are about twenty species belonging to nine genera, most of which are found in Southern China.
The bat is by no means regarded with aversion as in other countries. On the contrary it is emblematic of happiness and longevity. The conventional bat is frequently employed for decorative purposes, and is often so ornate that it bears a strong resemblance to the butterfly. Its wings are sometimes curved in the shape of the head of the RUYI (q. v.), and it is generally painted red—the colour of joy. The design of the Five Bats is a pictorial rebus standing for the Five Blessings (五福), viz., old age (壽), wealth (富), health (康寧), love of virtue (牧好德); and natural death (考終命); this is owing to the similarity in the sound of the characters for “bat” and “happiness”—both pronounced fú.
Bear
(熊)
Bears were very common in China in early times and may be found even now, though in smaller numbers. Ursus tibetanus, a black variety, and Aeluropus melanoleucus —the Great Panda—a beast with a white body and black ears, eyes, legs, and tail (formerly embroidered on the court robes of officials of the sixth grade), occur in Kansu, Szechuan, and Tibet; U. ussuricus —a black bear, and U. (Melanarctos) cavrifrons —a grizzly, appear in Manchuria and Corea. U. (Selenarctos) leuconyx is seen in Shensi.
There is a legend to the effect that one of the Zhōu Emperors dreamed that a bear entered his room through the window, and seating himself on a chair by the bed, foretold several important affairs of State. A model or picture of a bear was regarded as a potent charm against robbers.
The bear is a symbol of bravery and strength, and its paws are regarded as a delicacy, though not often found at the table in modern times.
Beast of Greed
(藥餐)
The tāotiè, or Beast of Greed, does not now represent any specific animals, but merely stands for an embodiment of and a warning against the vices of sensuality and avarice. It is shown in relief on the inner side of the isolated “shield wall” (影壁), erected before the main entrance of official buildings. The object of the “shield wall” is to prevent the noxious vapours emanating from evil spirits (which always travel in straight lines) from entering the house.
The tāotiè is designated by tān (貪), the same character as that for “avarice,” and standing as it does for the embodiment of this vice, it cannot fail by reason of its hideous
