Page 59 - A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols BIG Book

A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols 52
The Chinese ‘Heavenly Twins’ He-he (often followed by er-xian = the two holy
ones) were formerly worshipped in Peking on the 19th day of the 1st month. Each carried
in his hands a box and a lotus. In popular belief they were linked with the ‘Blue Dragon’
(qing long) and the ‘White Tiger’ (bai-hu) and were revered by traders and merchants as
the gods guarding the door of the house.

Boxwood

huang-yang

Boxwood was used for the characteristic sash toggles, which every scholar once
possessed, and which can now be studied (outside China) in a large collection in Santa
Fé. Boxwood was peculiarly suitable for this purpose since it is evergreen and grows very
slowly: hence, it was a symbol for longevity.

Breast

xiong

In popular art it is the male breast that is strongly emphasised, not the female. The ancient
Chinese believed that for a man to have a well-developed bust was a sign of good
fortune. Indeed, the founder of the Zhou Dynasty had no less than four breasts, which
was considered a peculiarly auspicious omen. In ancient times, women wore a broad

sash across the breasts so that they were not visible. Nowadays, the female bust is called
the ‘jade mountain’ or ‘the two mountains’. It is also known as man-tou = dumpling,
steamed bread.
The nipple is compared to a grape, or to the seed of the lotus. Women belonging
to the lower classes, we are assured, have red nipples the size of dates. A woman with
small nipples may bear children who will rise in society; a woman with large nipples, on
the other hand, bears children who stay in or sink to the lower classes.
The cleavage between the breasts is compared to a ravine between two mountains.