Page 141 - A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols BIG Book

A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols 134
used in the province of Sichuan, where it seems to be connected with head-hunting. At all
events, Zhu-ge Liang, who conquered parts of the province, is supposed to have invented
them in order to use them in place of human heads at sacrificial ceremonies in time of
war. Finally there is hun-dun (or, wan dan) – small meatballs lightly rolled in dough
which are boiled in water and served in the soup thus prepared. The name hun-dun means
something like ‘original chaos’ which holds within itself life (the filling) but is still
surrounded by water.
We learn something about the significance of food in ancient China from the
conversation in the ‘Land of the Noble’ which occurs in the highly imaginative novel
Jing-hua yuan (‘The Fate of the Flowers in the Mirror’) by Li Ru-zhen (died AD 1830).
The ideal of modesty is held up against the claims of a questionable luxury. To illustrate
the relativity of tastes and values Li quotes the case of that Chinese delicacy, the
swallow’s nest. Basically, it tastes of nothing better than wax, and it needs all sorts of
additives to make it even barely acceptable. Its value rests entirely on the affectations of
certain exclusive circles.
Until the 20th century, a whole galaxy of great Chinese cuisines vied with each other
in pleasing the gourmet – Shandong, Henan, Sichuan, Shanghai, Canton were among the
best. could tell at the first mouthful where a dish came from. Now that Peking is once
again capital, the Peking style of cooking has gained a lot of ground.

Forest

lin

It is fairly clear from ancient sources that China used to be heavily wooded. Over the
centuries, most of the trees were cut down until such forests as remained were only to be
found in thinly populated frontier areas. It is only since 1911 (the establishment of
the Republic) that a reafforestat ion policy has been adopted, a policy endorsed by the
Communist government from 1949 onwards.
Sacred forests on the slopes of holy mountains are often mentioned, as are sacred
groves. In general, however, the forest was seen as an eerie, spooky place full of dangers.
In the forests of South China, the tiger roamed, and bandits had their lairs – which is
why bandits were called ‘people of the greenwood’.
Forest and mountain spirits ( shan-xiao) are as plentiful in China as in Japan,
where as late as 1824 placards were hung up in the forests ordering the Tengu to vacate
the Nikko Mountains for the duration of the Shogun’s visit to the local temple. Both
peoples also venerate ‘sacred trees’, i.e. very old pine-trees, firs or ginko-trees of
remarkable size or shape.
Trees in Chinese pictures are always accompanied by buildings, roads and people: in
other words, what is represented is ‘tamed nature’, not wilderness.