This book provides a comprehensive guide to commonly used honorifics, terms, and units in the Chinese language. It serves as a valuable resource for individuals who are using Chinese terms to write their stories', offering explanations and examples...
The Four Divine Beasts (四神兽 sì shénshòu) (四大神兽) : Also known as the Four Symbols (四象). They hold great significance in Chinese cosmology, with each beast representing a Cardinal Direction, a Season, and an Element.
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The Four Symbols (四象; Sì Xiàng, literally meaning "four images"), are four mythological creatures appearing among the Chinese constellations along the ecliptic, and viewed as the guardians of the four cardinal directions.
These four creatures are also referred to by a variety of other names, including "Four Guardians", "Four Gods", and "Four Auspicious Beasts".
They are the Azure Dragon of the East, the Vermilion Bird of the South, the White Tiger of the West, and the Black Tortoise (also called "Black Warrior") of the North. Each of the creatures is most closely associated with a cardinal direction and a color, but also additionally represents other aspects, including a season of the year, an emotion, virtue, and one of the Chinese "five elements" (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water).
Each has been given its own individual traits, origin story and a reason for being. Symbolically, and as part of spiritual and religious belief and meaning, these creatures have been culturally important across countries in the East Asian cultural sphere.
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Clockwise from top left: Black Tortoise of the North, Azure Dragon of the East, Vermilion Bird of the South and White Tiger of the West.
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The East Asian cultural sphere, also known as the Sinosphere, the Sinic world, the Sinitic world, the Chinese cultural sphere, or the Chinese character sphere, encompasses multiple countries in East Asia and Southeast Asia that were historically influenced by Chinese culture. The East Asian cultural sphere is made up of several countries and territories: China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, and Vietnam. Other definitions sometimes include Mongolia and Singapore, because of limited historical Chinese influences or increasing modern-day Chinese diaspora. The East Asian cultural sphere is not to be confused with the Sinophone world, which includes countries where the Chinese-speaking population is dominant.
