Page 160 - A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols BIG Book

A-Z 153
Ginseng plays an important part in modern folk-tales current in the province of Jilin.
There is one about a Buddhist monk who mistreats his young pupil. Every time the monk
goes out, a child with a red cummerbund comes to play with the pupil. When the monk
learns about this, he tells his pupil to fasten a thread to the clothing of his visitor. This is
done, and later the monk finds the thread on a ginseng plant; so he digs up the root and
boils it. While the root is boiling, the monk has to go out for a moment; the pupil lifts the
lid of the pot and eats the contents. He gives the soup to his dog. When the monk comes
back, the dog eats him up.
In the many fanciful tales connected with ginseng, one of the main protagonists is
always a child.

Girl

nü hai

The role allotted in traditional Chinese society to young girls – indeed, to women in
general – emerges very clearly from the customs associated with birth, name-
giving, and with the annual qi-qiao festival. Indeed, male and female children were
treated in very different fashion from birth onwards. The qi-qiao festival was held on the
7th day of the 7th month (the festival of the Spinning Damsel): in the light of the full
moon, girls had to try to thread their needles correctly, and if they succeeded this was a
sign that they had pleased the goddess and would be skilful in all forms of handiwork.

Girl in spring