Beijing Lord Rabbit Figurines

2011-1-27 15:03:00 From: chinaculture

A unique artwork that depicts a cute rabbit in a powerful pose, Lord Rabbit figurine is considered an amazing symbol of Beijing local culture. Once used for worship on the Mid-Autumn Day, later becoming a children's toy, it is now mostly used as a type of decoration. With many stories surrounding the origin, such figurines are famous for their classic looks and spectacular designs. In the local shops of Beijing, they are one of the most popular products.

Often appearing in a warrior's armor, with banners on its back, and riding on a ferocious animal, Lord Rabbit almost always has a calm, serious expression that makes an interesting contrast to its long, funny-looking ears. There are also many designs that depict Lord Rabbit as a Beijinger with a special profession.

In Beijing's local culture, Lord Rabbit is a symbol of happiness and good luck. Even though it was born out of an ancient Chinese tradition of worshiping Jade Rabbit on Mid-Autumn Festival, it has a unique Beijing feel that has no equivalent in any other place in China.

It is generally believed Lord Rabbit first appeared in the late Ming dynasty. According to historical account, Beijingers from that period had a tradition of making clay rabbits for worship. During the Qing dynasty, Lord Rabbit was used not only as a shrine, but a toy for children. Nowadays, in the hands of the modern artists, Lord Rabbit can adopt any shape and be decorated with any design.

There are many legends concerning the origin of Lord Rabbit. According to the most popular version, Lord Rabbit, a maker of elixirs, was once sent by the Chinese moon goddess Change to Beijing to save people from a deadly plague. In Beijing, it transformed itself into a young woman and visited every home in the city to give people medicine. The plague quickly subsided, and people competed to give her gifts to express their thanks. But of all gifts, she only accepted clothes. On the streets of Beijing, she was sometime seen dressing in men's clothes, and sometimes in women's clothes. When the plague was driven away, she returned to the Moon. To commemorate her, Beijingers started to created and worship clay rabbit figurines on every Mid-Autumn Festival.

   

中文 English 日本語 한국어 Français Deutsch Русский язык Español Português عربي Melayu Indonesian Italiano Монгол Tiếng Việt Lao BIG5

·Study in Beijing ·Study in Shanghai ·Study in Chongqing ·Study in Guangdong ·Study in Heilongjiang
·Study in Jiangsu ·Study in Shandong ·Study in Shanxi ·Study in Sichuan ·Study in Anhui ·Study in Tibet
·Study in Henan ·Study in Hunan ·Study in Hebei ·Study in Jiangxi ·Study in Shaanxi ·Study in Zhejiang
·Study in Liaoning ·Study in Hubei ·Study in Tianjin ·Study in Yunnan ·Study in Fujian ·Study in Qinghai
·Study in Guizhou ·Study in Ningxia ·Study in Hainan ·Study in Guangxi ·Study in Gansu ·Study in Jilin
 
   
map Need Assistance? Have Questions?  Skype: www.admissions.cn  E-mail: Help@admissions.cn
 
Copyright © 2004-2014 Admissions.cn Inc. All Rights Reserved. 京ICP备10029054-1号