Page 112 - A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols BIG Book

E

EagleE

ying

The eagle figures in Chinese painting as a symbol of strength. A picture showing an eagle
perched in a pine-tree is a suitable gift for an older man, wishing him the strength of
the eagle and the longevity of the pine. An eagle on a rock in the sea symbolises the
hero (ying) who fights a lone battle.

Eagle on a rock in the sea: symbol of the hero who fights alone

For the Xiong-nu (the ‘Huns’, who moved through Central Asia in the period from the
first century BC to the end of the second century AD) the eagle symbolised the ruler.
When an eagle is shown struggling with a snake, the picture is a reference to the
Indian garuda bird.