Page 100 - A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols BIG Book

A-Z 93
The story of Zhou Yan-zi, however, is very well known in China. He is always shown
wearing the deer-skin which he adopted as a disguise when his blind parents wanted
deer’s milk as a cure. Zhou’s subterfuge was successful. This is one of the best-known of
the 24 examples of filial piety ( xiao) still familiar to all Chinese children. It has even
found its way on to Taiwanese stamps.
‘Père David’s deer’ (mi-lu, Elaphorus davidianus) is popularly known as the ‘Four
Unlikes’ as it has a deer’s head, an ass’s tail, a camel’s back and a cow’s ear.
In the popular novel ‘The Metamorphoses of the Gods’ this deer figures as the
favourite mount of the hero, Jiang Zi-ya. If a pregnant woman sees a mi-lu, her child will
have four eyes.

Dew

lu

Dew may symbolise the grace and bounty which flow downwards from the Emperor
to ‘bedew’ the people. But it may also symbolise a fleeting love affair which passes like
morning dew. When one of the Song Emperors was completely captivated by the charms
of a new concubine, the forsaken Empress lamented that now ‘she was no more
besprinkled by the gracious rain and bounteous dew’. The ‘Temple of Sweet Dew’ (gan
lu si) was a building in the southern state of Wu, according to the ‘Romance of the Three
Kingdoms’: the ruler of Wu, the southernmost of the so-called ‘Three Kingdoms’ (3rd
century AD), hoping to marry his daughter to the ruler of the western state of Shu, had
invited the latter to visit him. But first of all, while the visitor was waiting to be received,
the ruler of Wu sent his mother with two lady’s maids, to have a look at the prospective
bridegroom and size him up. The ruler of Shu saw through the subterfuge and promptly
made his departure. This scene is often depicted in temples.

Divorce

li hun

According to legislation which was in force as far back as Tang times a man could
divorce his wife on any one of seven counts: if she had failed to bear him a son, if she
had committed adultery, if she was too talkative (i.e. discussed family matters with the
neighbours), if she was a thief or obsessively jealous, if she was ‘sick’ (probably this
refers to venereal disease) or if she suffered from a severe illness. It was a punishable