Page 285 - A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols BIG Book
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A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols 278
Pavilion
ting
A frequent motif in Chinese painting is a small pavilion which is sometimes round,
sometimes many-cornered. If this airy edifice stands on a steep rock jutting up out of the
sea, surrounded by clouds, with cranes flying towards it, we know we are looking at
the Islands of the Immortals, in the eastern sea – a kind of paradise in which the
blessed spirits live.
Pavilion on the island of paradise
Again, the pavilion may be built on the thick vapours issuing from the muzzle of a
monster; in this case, the reference is to a Fata Morgana over the Eastern Ocean, which is
also known as ‘Sea-monster Market’ (shen-shi). However, this may be a symbol for
‘success’ as shen-shi is phonetically reminiscent of sheng-shi = success.
Pavilions outside villages and towns protect travellers against rain; they are not
infrequently the scene of chance or romantic meetings (between persons of different sex).
