The influence of Kirin on later generations

Kirin culture is a traditional folk culture of the Han nationality, such as the birth of children by Kirin, which is an ancient fertility folk custom in China. Legend has it that Kirin is a kind pet and a symbol of good luck, which can bring children to people. On the eve of Confucius' birth, there was a jade book written by Kirin at home, which said, "The son of a pure water will fail in the week", meaning that he has the virtue of an emperor and does not occupy his position. Although this is a wrong statement, it is actually the basis of "Kirin gives the child", which is contained in Wang Chong's On the Balance and Immortality and Jia's Notes on the Collection of Leftovers. Folks have the reputation of "son of Kirin" and "son of forest". In the Northern and Southern Dynasties, people often called smart and lovely boys "my Kirin". Since then, "Kirin has sent pictures." As a woodcut, it is a good omen to engrave the couplet "Kirin in the sky, Lang on the ground as the champion". It is generally believed that worshipping Kirin can give birth to children. Tang Du Fu's Song of Summer Xu's Two Sons: "Don't you see Summer Xu's two sons?" Inducing auspicious dreams followed. Confucius gave the stone family, not the unicorn in the sky. China's national customs recorded in Hu Pu 'an. "Hunan" quoted "Changzhi New Age Folk Poetry": "It is also strange for a woman to be surrounded by dragons. A real dragon is not as good as a paper dragon, but it can send a child to the forest. " Original note: "If a woman is barren for many years, every time a dragon lantern comes home, she will be given a seal instrument to surround her with a dragon body once, and the dragon body will be shortened and she will ride around the hall once, which is called the gift of Qi Lin." According to Lin Qiqi, it belongs to the dragon, that is, the person who replaces Qijia with the dragon lantern.

custom

The main feature of Kirin is ten-day deer, which combines the characteristics of dragon and horse. It is still unclear who its original author is and how it originated. Some scholars speculate that it may be the ancestor of Zhou people, because Zhou people originally lived in the northwest, when the northwest was rich in aquatic plants and suitable for the growth of deer.

In slave society and feudal society, the dragon and phoenix were seized by the supreme ruler, losing the original meaning of totem synthesis and becoming the symbol of the emperor and queen of the supreme ruler. Kirin, with good nature, has been squeezed into the people in the power competition, and the people expect it to bring good years, good fortune, long life and beauty.

14 15 (13th year of Yongle), Zheng He returned to Nanjing with a giraffe presented by King Marin. Because the giraffe looks like the auspicious thing in China folklore-Kirin, and people in China knew little about giraffes at that time, everyone agreed that the giraffe given by Marin was Kirin.

1. Kirin is a mythical animal in legend and does not exist in real life.

2. In the ancient legends of China, Kirin, dragon and phoenix, and tortoise were combined into four spirits, and they were the kings of the hairy beasts.

Kirin is a godsend of ordinary people. There is a folk saying that "Kirin sends a son". It is said that Confucius was sent by Kirin.

Kirin is dotted with stars, so the main auspicious animal is one of the most famous auspicious animals. Kirin contains benevolence and righteousness. In the ancient culture of China, there are many legends about the rise and fall of emperors and Kirin.

5. Like the phoenix, Kirin is divided into male and female, with Qi as the male, Lin as the female, elk, beaten tail, Longlin and Zu as even toes (but there is also a saying that Kirin has five toes, which is actually mistaken for "Kirin" with five toes). There is a horn on the head and meat on the horn.

6. Kirin, as a mascot, was often used in ancient China. Historically, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty built the Qilin Pavilion in Weiyang Palace, painted heroic images as a reward, and showed the world his love for talents. Kirin can be divided into three categories: Songzi Kirin, Blessing Kirin and Zhaizhen Qilin. Its name represents its meaning, and now it is found in many ordinary families. Kirin is endowed with noble, kind and auspicious meanings by culture, so nowadays Kirin is mostly made of high-quality materials such as jade, gold, red Qi Diao, copper, obsidian or glass.

7. Kirin is also widely used in official clothes. The boudoir emblem of Yipin Guan in Qing Dynasty was decorated with Kirin, which shows that its position is second only to that of dragon. In the Qing Dynasty, only royalty were qualified to wear the dragon symbol. The emperor was Huanglong and Zilong, and the prince, elder brother, Baylor and Beizi were all dragons.

8. Kirin may be a giraffe? In the Ming Dynasty, Zheng He brought back giraffes from Africa after returning from the Western Ocean. At that time, the Ming people had never seen such a large animal that only produced in savanna, and thought it was a unicorn! This is why the friends above say that Kirin is a giraffe! .

9. The image of Kirin can still be seen. The most famous unicorn image in China is the unicorn in the tomb of Nan Dynasty. There are many kinds of gods guarding Ruichong in the tombs of the Southern Dynasties, but they all evolved from the image of Kirin.

10. Because of its profound cultural connotation, Kirin is made into various ornaments for underage children to wear in China traditional folk customs. Have the intention of blessing and security. For example, in the thirty-first and thirty-second chapters of the classic Dream of Red Mansions, "One-horned White Double Star" is written in great length. The Kirin here is not only Shi Xiangyun's amulet, but also her wedding token. In Huangmei Opera "Female Ma Xu", a pair of jade kylins are also witnesses of love. The heroine and the hero were blocked by the decision of the woman's parents. The heroine gave the hero a jade unicorn and vowed that "life and death will not change, and the breeze and the bright moon will prove that a pair of jade unicorns are separated." This unicorn will be given to you, and this unicorn will stay in the body. Unicorns are paired and are not allowed to relax. " When the two sides broke through many obstacles and finally got married, "Kirin in pairs, flowers bloom in Wan Nianhong", in that big night, the two Kirin finally became a pair. China's traditional concept of fertility is that he wants to have many children and grandchildren, and many children are blessed. He regards infertility and carrying on the family line as the greatest unfilial duty. This traditional concept is deeply rooted and has influenced generation after generation. Hundreds of children and other celebrations, from women's pregnancy to the birth of babies, all reflect people's unremitting efforts to pray for this. Because Kirin once came to a saint like Confucius, people believe that Kirin can not only send children, but also help them. Therefore, the phenomenon of folk culture with the theme of "Kirin sending a child" is not only seen in pictures and blessings, but also in activities at the age of 20, with a wide range of manifestations, which is intended to pray for the early birth of your son and the virtuous future generations.

In modern Changsha City, Hunan Province, dragon dances are held every new month. At that time, whenever the dragon lantern juggler played with the family of infertile women, the host family would give gifts and let the dragon dance around the infertile women, then shorten the dragon body, ride a child and walk around the hall to show that the unicorn would send the children. In some places in Shandong, there is also a way to pray for children. Infertile women carry paper-tied Kirin around the courtyard or around the hall, and some people tie colored embroidery in the corner to send their children to Kirin.

As far as the design of Kirin Songzi is concerned, it is both complicated and simple. Complex may be centered on boys, wearing a long life lock, holding a lotus and holding a sheng; Or riding a unicorn for the boy with a book hanging in the corner; or being escorted by the lady behind the boy with an umbrella and a fan. Jane rode a unicorn for the boy and held a lotus in her hand. In folk prints, there are also auspicious couplets of "Kirin in the sky and Lang in the underground". Brick carving and wood carving are important ways of architectural decoration in ancient Han nationality, with rich themes and excellent carving, which give vivid images to architectural modeling. Brick carving is mostly used for the facing of brick structure buildings and the eaves of brick walls of wooden structures; Wood carving is not only used for the exterior eaves of buildings, but also for the decoration of interior eaves. Tianjin brick carving is a leader in the art of brick carving, and it is also a fine tile-making product during Qianlong and Jiaqing years in Qing Dynasty. Brick carvers are called "carvers". Daoguang developed into an independent industry and formed the world-famous "Tianjin Brick Carving". The wood carving skills of hanging flower doors, internal and external cards, forehead, flower cover, four screens, flower board and flower teeth are also a must.

The buildings in China, especially the residential buildings, are mostly brick-wood structures, which are popular with auspicious patterns with profound decorative meanings, such as eaves, Fangshan walls, lintels, window frames, screen walls, column bases, panel walls, roofs and drum stones. Kirin is one of the commonly used auspicious animals. Some decorate stone Kirin on both sides of the gate, which not only shows the nobleness of the gate, but also avoids evil spirits. Since ancient times, people like to wear the craft statues of Kirin as amulets, which are made of gold, silver, copper and jade. Pay special attention to wearing "Kirin lock" for babies to pray for their longevity. In addition, the traditional patterns with Kirin artistic modeling as the pattern are also widely used. In the Book of Songs, his family is known as the "toe of the forest". Later generations use Linzhi as a metaphor for future generations to have both ability and political integrity. As a mascot, Kirin is often used in court affairs. During the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Kirin Pavilion was built in Weiyang Palace, and portraits of heroes were hung on the pavilion to show the highest honor. Obviously, Kirin was compared to a talent. During the reign of Wu Zetian in the Tang Dynasty, the official robe was embroidered with Kirin, which was named "Kirin robe" and was specially worn by military commanders above the third grade. In the Qing dynasty, Kirin was embroidered on the "supplement" of military attache and became a symbol of hierarchy. This shows that Kirin has a high status, second only to dragons. Some ladies' skirts are usually embroidered with auspicious animal patterns that worship Kirin to express their good wishes. In folk paper-cutting, New Year pictures, embroidery, batik and other arts and crafts, Kirin has left a vivid shadow.

The hometown of Kirin culture

Juye people have a soft spot for Kirin. In Juye, there are many folk relics about Kirin. Poems and songs depicting Kirin, calligraphy and paintings depicting Kirin, and carved inscriptions commemorating Kirin are numerous among Juye folk. There are countless people and things named after Lin in Juye in past dynasties. In 2007, Juye was named as the hometown of Kirin culture in China, and Juye ushered in an opportunity to develop Kirin culture.

place name

There is Qilin District in Qujing, Yunnan, also known as Qilin City.

Qilin Street, Jiangning District, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province

Qilin Town, Haimen City, Nantong City, Jiangsu Province

Jimei Thought in Qilin Town, Zongyang County, Anqing City, Anhui Province

First, the creation of Kirin and China people's thought of "Jimei"

Kirin, an animal, was created by mixing thoughts according to the way of thinking of China people. From its external shape, it looks like a moose, a dragon's tail, a horseshoe (called "deer's hoof" in history books), a dragon's skin, a corner with meat at the corner end, and yellow. This model is a new combination of many real animals. It concentrates all the advantages of these precious animals on Kirin, a fictional animal, which fully embodies the concept of "Jimei" of China people.

The so-called "Jimei", in layman's terms, is the performance of concentrating all the beautiful things on one thing. This concept is the goal and desire that China people have been pursuing in the spiritual and material world for thousands of years. Therefore, it makes sense for Kirin to combine deer's body, dragon's tail, ox's hoof, Long Lin and other auspicious animals.

Deer worship belongs to primitive animal worship in China and was a symbol of emperors in ancient times. At the same time, it is also included in the category of theology and political science. "Song Shu Fu Rui Zhi" says: "White deer plain, Wang will benefit from it." "Ruiying Map" also said: "Wang Cheng Sheng testimonies, nothing to lose, then White Deer comes." Later, when people worshipped immortals, white deer was regarded as a sacred animal in the immortal family. Mongolians in ancient China worshipped white deer. In the Secret History of Mongolia, there are myths and legends about the birth of Bailuyuan God. Manchu has a myth of deer god. Among the Oroqen, Ewenki and Hezhe who raise reindeer, deer is often the god of shaman wizards, who think shaman often appears in the shape of deer. Even shaman witchcraft firmly believes that the true soul of shaman can be turned into a battle between deer and body. If the deer wins, the life of shaman will be over. In the folk, deer also appears as a long-lived immortal pet, which is used to express the theme of celebrating birthday and blessing on many occasions. In addition, deer and Lu are homophonic, symbolizing good luck.

Cattle went to the altar in ancient times and became an indispensable sacred object in sacrificial activities. According to folklore, cattle are gods sent by heaven to help mankind. It cultivated silently in the fields, bringing material wealth to mankind, and its dedication also gave human spiritual wealth. Cattle worship is very common among people of all ethnic groups in China. There is bull worship in the northwest and many buffalo worship in the south. According to historical records, during the Warring States period, there was a Nut Temple in Qin State, which was the earliest recorded worship of cattle in ancient times. China's Naxi, Tajik, Uygur, Kazak, Kirgiz, Salar, Hani and other ethnic minorities regard cows as creatures. Miao, Tujia, Buyi, Dong, Bai, Ewenki and Dai also have the custom of offering sacrifices to sacred cows. Taoism also worships cows.

Horses are regarded as intelligent, loyal, brave and hardworking animals with noble, elegant and noble temperament. In the Book of Changes, the horse symbolizes the sky, that is, "making for the sky". Horse worship is popular among nomadic people and hunting people whose main motive force is horses in northern China. There are many records about the ritual of offering sacrifices to the horse god and the construction of Ma Chong Temple in the literature of Qing Dynasty. In addition, in ancient times, white horses were often sacrificed to heaven, and the teacher swore an oath. They think that the white horse belongs to Yang and is driven by gods. The green ox belongs to yin and is enjoyed by the land god. Mongolian, Oroqen, Ewenki and other ethnic groups all have the custom of choosing what gods to worship when offering sacrifices to gods or protecting gods by livestock. This kind of god horse is not allowed for women to ride, but can be eaten everywhere, not allowed to drive away, and even can eat young crops in the field at will. Shenma chooses full white, full tail and full mane, never trims it, and often ties colorful silk threads at the end of the mane as a mark.

As an aquatic animal, fish scales are regarded as auspicious and beautiful decorations, and "fish scale brocade" is a traditional auspicious pattern. Fish worship is widely spread among the Han, Manchu, Tibetan, Mongolian, Bai, Hani, Wa and other ethnic groups in China, and there are stories of fish carrying the earth in many myths. The world image on the silk paintings of Han tombs unearthed in Mawangdui, Hunan Province also puts the earth on two huge fish. Fish is homophonic with "fish" and becomes a symbol of a rich and happy life.

The ancient people in China creatively combined the above auspicious animals to construct the image of Kirin, which conforms to the psychological acceptance and artistic appreciation cultivated and forged for a long time, reproduces the long-standing traditional inheritance and truly embodies the idea of "Jumei" of China people.

Confucian thought

Second, Kirin and the inheritance of Confucianism

Kirin is endowed with excellent quality in legend. For example, it is said that it is docile in nature, does not cover insects, does not fold grass, has horns on its head and meat on its horns, so it is called "the pet of the benevolent". Zhao of Xiliang said in the "Kirin Fu": "A round hoof, the rules are good, you must choose the swimming place, and you must be in the back, don't jump into the trap and get into trouble." Fu Ruizhi, the Book of Song Dynasty, said: "The benevolent wears righteousness, does not drink the pool, does not trap, and does not catch." "Shuo Yuan" also has the following words: "With benevolence and righteousness, the tone is gentle, and the steps are regular, the twists and turns are moderate, and the soil is chosen before proceeding. The location is flat but the place is backward, and it does not live in groups, does not travel, and is chaotic. " Record. It embodies the modesty of Kirin's kind gentleman. The reason why Kirin worship can be accepted by the general public and the ruling class in its development and inheritance is precisely because this kind of "benevolence" quality conforms to China's ethics and Confucianism for thousands of years.

Confucianism was founded by Confucius, a great thinker and educator in the late Spring and Autumn Period in China. As far as its purpose, function, purpose and structure are concerned, it can be said that it is a school with moral education as its core, which has played a great positive role in the development of China culture and world culture. The core of Confucianism is "benevolence", which can be said to be the fundamental and highest moral criterion of Confucian ethics. Its main purpose is "love", that is, "if you want to stand up, you can stand up." "Don't do to others what you don't want them to do to you." According to Confucianism, people are human because they have a "caring heart", and whether people should be respected and reused is determined by the moral standard of a "lover".

Confucianism is the dominant ideology of China's traditional culture. During the Warring States period, Confucianism and Mohism were also called "outstanding scholars". Qin Shihuang used legalism to unify the world and burned books to bury Confucianism, which dealt a serious blow to Confucianism, but the Qin Dynasty "died the next year". At the beginning of the Han Dynasty, Huang Lao's learning was highly praised, and Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty listened to Dong Zhongshu's suggestion, deposed hundreds of schools and respected Confucianism alone. Therefore, Confucianism officially occupied the dominant position. Metaphysics prevailed in Wei and Jin Dynasties. Although Ji Kang openly advocated "not Tang Wu but thin Zhou Li", metaphysics still respected Confucius as the highest saint. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Buddhism flourished and Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism were respected at the same time, but the political statutes were still Confucianism. The rise of Neo-Confucianism in the Song Dynasty restored the authoritative position of Confucianism and was respected by the rulers throughout the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. Until the May 4th period, Confucianism was severely criticized, and the ideological era in which Confucianism dominated came to an end, and the pattern of Confucianism's exclusive respect was gone forever. However, the dominant position and far-reaching influence of Confucianism in traditional culture are unparalleled.

In folklore, Kirin is also closely related to Confucius, the founder of Confucianism. It is said that on the night of Confucius' birth, there was a family in the Confucius' mansion where Kirin came, and a jade book was spit out, which read, "The children of water and spirit are weak for five weeks, seeking wisdom." Words. It tells everyone that Confucius is a descendant of nature. Although it does not occupy the throne, it has a virtue, which is called "the king of elements". Confucius' family tied a colorful embroidery on the corner to show their gratitude. In the last years of Zhou Wangjing, when someone was digging a plow in Qufu, they dug up colored embroidery originally tied in a rare place. Later, three volumes of jade books were derived, and Confucius became a saint after intensive reading. Today, the Confucius Temple is decorated with books to show the auspicious arrival and birth of sages.

In the era of Confucius' life, "the conquest of rites and music came from princes", and the ceremony collapsed and the society was in turmoil. Legend has it that Kirin was found in the countryside and was looked down upon. Confucius lamented that Kirin's "untimely birth" marked the end of the world and the poverty of philosophers. Spring and Autumn Annals was written here, so it is also called "Lin Shi" and "Lin Jing".

Meaning and mind

Third, the auspicious meaning and profit-seeking humanity of Kirin.

Every nation and every region has its own culture, which is deeply hidden and does not show its own national and folk characteristics in many aspects. Different nationalities and races also make human beings have certain differences in appearance and skin color. However, people of different nationalities and races have some common basic physiological and psychological characteristics. The theory of the same basic psychological characteristics of human beings is called "the theory of the same mind and nature" in academic circles. One of them is the desire for profit.

The "profit" of the profit-seeking mentality cannot be narrowly understood as interest and money. It refers to everything that is beneficial to human beings. It is the psychological characteristics that human beings yearn for, pursue auspiciousness and happiness, and hope that everything will develop in a direction that is beneficial to them, and often explain the development of things that are beneficial to them or give them characteristics that are beneficial to them. Throughout the ages, people who have existed and existed, no matter what nationality or culture, have such psychology. No one yearns for disasters and disasters, and no one wants everything to develop in a direction that is not conducive to them. The teachings of Christianity and Buddhism require people to endure suffering and abstinence, with the aim of getting rid of original sin, getting rid of the frontier and guiding people into heaven or paradise, which embodies this profit-seeking nature. Kirin worship also has such a mind. Just like China's narrative literature works put forward a happy ending in the reflection on traditional culture. This is also the main reason why Kirin has been circulating for a long time.

Legend has it that Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty once won a unicorn. In the first year of yuanshou (BC 122), in October of winter, Emperor Xingyong visited the five halls and won the title of "Bai Lin", which was sung by Emperor Xiangrui. Therefore, the original name of Yuan Shuo was changed to Yuan Shou to show good luck. In addition, he also built the Kirin Pavilion (filial piety system) and gave the minister platinum. In the third year of Ganlu (5 1 year BC), Emperor Gaozu painted the images of Huo Guang, Zhang Anshi, Han Zeng,, Bingji, Du Yannian,, He, Xiao and Su Wu 1 1 to show his contribution. Later generations mostly used Qilin Pavilion or Linge Pavilion to express outstanding achievements and the highest honor. It is also said that Song Taizong also won the Kirin, and the Manchu Dynasty congratulated him. It can be seen that the auspicious meaning of Kirin has been widely recognized. Legend has it that there is a unicorn in China and the West. It has a horn on its head and is covered with scales, just like a deer with a tail. China is called "Lin" for short, and the west is generally called "unicorn". People in China call Kirin a "kind pet" because it transcends the swamp and walks without stepping on ants and insects or flowers. It is an auspicious omen, juxtaposed with the dragon, phoenix and tortoise as the four major folk gods, and there is also a beautiful talk of "Kirin sending children". Kirin often uses outstanding talent as a metaphor. According to "Biography of the Book of Jin Why", a scholar valued his nephew very much and said, "This is my Kirin".

Kirin, like China, has been regarded as a symbol of wisdom and a metaphor of culture and art in Europe since ancient times. But in modern times, some westerners turned it into a modern totem of money fetishism and the hunting object of profit-seekers, so they got the so-called "Golden Kirin". La chasse à la licorne, a best-selling novel by Elobres, a contemporary French writer and academician of Goncourt College of Literature, has been translated into Chinese and published in Beijing. Of course, some people in the west have sounded the alarm of being wary of the "Golden Kirin". Not long ago, the Bishop of the Christian Church in Germany, Wolfgang Ube, accused the president of Deutsche Bank on Christmas Eve, saying that his excessive pursuit of profits and the pursuit of a new idol worship golden calf caused quite a stir among the masses. It seems that the modern western concept of Kirin was introduced into China, which impacted the traditional Confucian morality and made the descendants of Confucius lose their social and cultural characteristics, stop living in poverty and convert to money worship. One of the zodiac signs. Located in the south of Gemini and the north of Canis Canis, in the Milky Way between Canis Canis and Orion. However, this part of the Milky Way is located at the edge of the Milky Way, so it is far less bright than the Milky Way in summer. The most beautiful celestial body in Kirin constellation is the Rose Nebula (also known as the Rose Nebula, NGC2237, with a visual magnitude of about 6). At the center of this dim rose-red nebula is an open cluster (NGC2244), which consists of more than a dozen turquoise and golden stars. Unfortunately, this rose in the sky can't be seen directly from the telescope, and its color can only be seen in the photos taken with the telescope for a long time.

As early as the Persian map, there are already pictures of this constellation. However, its figure is completely different from the unicorn in China mythology. It is a unicorn, shaped like a white horse, with a horn on its head.

The unicorn is located in the east of Orion, just "cut" by the Milky Way. There are few bright stars among them. Every year on the night of 65438+10.5, the unicorn constellation reaches the zenith, and10 and February are the best months to observe it. Unicorn is Monoceros in Latin, which means unicorn or rhinoceros. Astronomers in China translated it into Kirin. Kirin is a mythical animal, and the unicorn depicted in ancient legends in China is bijuu, a one-horned deer. The whole body is covered with scales, which was used by the ancients to symbolize auspiciousness, so Kirin is called an auspicious constellation. Unicorn is equivalent to China's Sidu, Queqiu and other star officials.

The alpha star in the unicorn, whose Chinese name is Que Masi Oka VII, is a KO ⅲ red giant with a magnitude of 3.93 and a distance of 180 light years. The beta star of Kirin (Betelgeuse 26) is a triad star with a synthetic magnitude of 4.2, a sub-star of 4.7 and a sub-star of 5.2. Substar c is 6. 1 etc. Kirin (Betelgeuse 28) has an apparent magnitude of 3.98 and a distance of 220 light years. The apparent magnitude of δ star in Kirin constellation (Chinese name Queqiu II) is 4. 15, and the distance is 220 light years.

Stars numbered unicorn 15 (brightness is 4.7, etc. ) also known as unicorn s type. It is a Liuhe star, and its sub-stars are A star 4.8, B star 7.6, C star 9.9, D star 9.7, E star 10.0, F star 7.8 and so on. Unicorn star S is located in an open cluster NGC 2264, 2700 light years away. Surrounding the cluster is a huge fuzzy diffuse nebula. NGC 2264 open cluster is surrounded by complex and chaotic cosmic gas and dust, which is mixed with red luminous cloud gas, which is excited by high-energy light emitted by newly formed stars in dark cloud gas. Around the shape, interstellar dust covering the star reflects starlight to form blue reflection cloud gas. 1. Liangshan hero Lu Junyi, nicknamed "Hebei Jade Kirin".

2. Zhou, a famous Peking Opera performance artist, has a stage name of "Kirin Tong".

3. Jiang Wei, a figure of the Three Kingdoms, was named Bo Yue, nicknamed "Kirin".

4. The tomb-robbing note character, alias Kirin, is the head of the Zhang family.

5. Su Huanjen, the character of the puppet show, is transformed into the unicorn star of Tianhai.

6. Mei, a nirvana figure in the fire, is called "Kirin gifted scholar". Kirin is a mythical beast in China folklore. As early as the Zhou Dynasty, it was called "Four Spirits" with the dragon and phoenix turtle, ranking first among the "Four Spirits". It is a symbol of peace and good luck. Kirin culture has developed for nearly a hundred years, which is more prominently manifested as unicorn dance, that is, it has entered the field of performing arts.

Kirin dance combines music, dance, arts and crafts and acrobatics, which has both aesthetic appreciation value and literary, religious, folk and historical research value. It is a precious property left by ancestors to Chinese descendants. Guangdong is a region where unicorn dance is widely circulated. Historically, unicorn dances in all parts of the province have their own characteristics, such as Dongjiang unicorn dance represented by Xiaojinkou in Huizhou, Hakka unicorn dance represented by Zhangmutou in Dongguan and Huangge unicorn dance represented by Panyu in Guangzhou.

The image of Kirin has a history of 2500 years. It was originally a totem, a belief. Later, it developed into philosophical significance and entered the field of literature, such as "Delinger" by Han Yu and "Lin Zhizan" by Huang Tingjian. Finally, it went to plastic arts and performing arts, and became the materials for artistic creation such as ceramics, New Year pictures, paper-cutting, clay sculpture, embroidery, jade ornaments, architecture and sculpture.

Kirin dance is a folk art performance form that Hakka people brought from the north to the south. Accompanied by gongs and drums and suona, it has the style of Jiangbei Flower Festival. Unlike Guangdong Lingnan music, it is an artistic culture handed down from generation to generation by Hakkas. Kirin is an auspicious benevolent beast in ancient legends, and Hakka people regard it as a mascot. It has been dancing Kirin for more than 500 years. Dancing unicorns are a combination of singing, dancing and music. The skeleton of the dancing unicorn is made of bamboo sticks, and the skin is made of various colors of cloth. Divided into head and tail, there is a hole in the middle, and the dancer stands at the hole and ties Kirin to her body. During the Spring Festival, they went to the village and went door to door to pay New Year greetings.

It is understood that Kirin is the first of the "four spirits" of the ancient Chinese nation, symbolizing auspiciousness, peace, good weather, peace and prosperity. Kirin dance is a popular folk dance, which expresses the farmers' feeling of bumper harvest after hard work. Kirin dance originated in Emei Mountain, Sichuan. 1958, immigrants from Xinfengjiang Reservoir who left their hometown brought the unicorn dance to Xiaojinkou. Now * * *, there are 20 Kirin teams with 200 people, the oldest is 9 1 year, and the youngest is 13 years old. In June 2006, he participated in the Guangdong Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition and was awarded the honorary title of "China Kirin Dance Town" by Huizhou City.

According to historical records, Kirin dance was originally a performing art in the court, which was called "Kirin Holy Dance" and was an essential performance in various royal celebrations. According to the old people, after the demise of the Ming Dynasty, a local court artist brought his unicorn dance stunt back to his hometown and passed it down from generation to generation.