Page 288 - A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols BIG Book
P. 288
A-Z 281
be peach-blossom mad’ means ‘to be confused with the pressures of puberty’. A ‘Peach-
blossom Cave’ may simply be a coffin. From the great novel ‘The Romance of the Three
Kingdoms’, the ‘Peach Garden’ in which the three heroes, Liu Bei, Zhang Fei and Guan
Yu swear brotherhood, has become famous.
In the series of plants which symbolise the months, the peach stands for the 3rd
Chinese month.
Peacock
kong-que
The peacock symbolises dignity and beauty. It drives evil away; and it dances when
it sees a beautiful woman. In Chinese legend it lacks the status it has in India, where the
god of war is said to ride on a peacock, as does Sarasvati, the goddess of the poetic arts;
and Indra himself is depicted sitting on a peacock throne.
Peacocks in flight
