Page 361 - A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols BIG Book

A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols 354
antlers, sometimes again with a tiger’s head. One theory is that it represents two animals
in profile.
Taro Taro

yu-nai

Taro is a tuberous plant usually cultivated in wet-fields which seems to have been
brought to China from Polynesia. It is now grown largely in South China. In Fujian
province, it is supposed to be eaten ritually at the feast of the 15th day of the 1st month,
in order to get – or keep – good eyesight. In Anhui it is sacrificed to the god of riches on
the 4th day of the 1st month, as yu-nai (= Taro) sounds very similar in the Anhui dialect
to yun-lai = ‘good luck (or wealth) is coming’.

Tea Tea

cha

The West European word ‘tea’ (Tee, thé, etc.) is derived from ti, the Fujian dialect
pronunciation, while the Turkish word çay is derived from the North Chinese
pronunciation, beverage which is now the standard and typical drink of China and Japan
was brought along with Buddhism in the 3rd century AD, presumably by monks from
Assam. Soon there were two main areas of cultivation – the province of Sichuan in West
China and the central Chinese provinces south of the Yangtse. Its commercial value and

importance increased to such an extent that from the 8th century onwards it was a
government monopoly, and good horses from Mongolia were paid for in tea. To begin
with, only ‘green’ tea was in