Page 194 - A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols BIG Book

A-Z 187
China: e.g. in the wedding ceremonies of the Tanka, held on the night of the full moon
( toad). Kissing in public – in the West, a casual matter of no particular significance –
was until very recently strictly taboo in China. Students caught in the act could even be
sent down from the university.

Knot, The Endless

pan-zhang

The endless knot swallows its own tail, one might say: pan-zhang means ‘long coil’ or
‘long twist’. It is one of the eight Buddhist symbols and symbolises long life
uninterrupted by setbacks. It is also called a ‘lucky knot’.
In Hinduism, it is believed to be the mark on the breast of Vishnu.

The endless knot and ‘lucky knot’ ornament

Another tradition has it that the endless knot is a stylisation of the entrails of a defeated
enemy. The phonetic similarity between zhang and zang = entrails no doubt plays a part
here.
The endless knot is much used in China as an ornamental symbol and is worked into a
literally endless variety of designs.