What kind of animals are those sitting on the roofs in Beijing? (8 photos)

They sit in a row and watch everyone who dared to walk below. They even have a name, "spine doors", because they sit on the ridges, the ridges of the roofs of the palace halls. But why do they sit there, are they Chinese gargoyles?





So far away, you can't really see them from below, but so much effort has been put into them

Not really, because gargoyles are like the dark forces of chaos, subordinate to the light force. And the animals according to Feng Shui are normal, they are placed there to drive away evil spirits.

The most famous spinal animals are a chain of ten animals in the Hall of Supreme Harmony of the Forbidden City. They are needed not only for protection, but to show the power and wealth of the imperial family.



And here is a ruler in short, who was thrown out, the god of lightning?

Here they are, from right to left, Kim Taehyung… That is, by their official names: Immortal Riding a Rooster, Dragon, Phoenix, Lion, Sea Horse, Sky Horse, Yayu, Suanni, Xiezhi, Dunyu, and Xingshi.

The first is an immortal creature riding a rooster. Because a rooster (also supposedly a phoenix) once saved the king of the ancient state of Qi when he fled from battle.

The next two mythical creatures in the row are the dragon and the phoenix, which symbolized the emperor's divine power. The dragon is known as the ruler of all rivers and waterways, so it was believed to dispel the threat of fire to the predominantly wooden palace. A very useful figurine!

Next is the phoenix, the "king of all birds." It was often depicted as the dragon's companion, and their combination was believed to bring good luck and prosperity. This idea lives on in the idiom "dragon and phoenix bring good luck", which refers to extreme good luck.





This is a phoenix. Do you recognize it? Neither do I

Yayu (something like a cross between a dragon and a fish, the ruler of all underwater creatures) also protects against fire.

After the Phoenix comes the lion, considered by Buddhists to be the king of all animals and a guardian spirit. The lion represents strength.



The lions in Kiate are seriously cool

Lion sculptures are often placed at front gates and entrances, as its fierce appearance and aura are said to protect homes from evil spirits.

The lion is similar in function and appearance to the seventh (sometimes sixth) creature, Suanni. Suanni is considered one of the nine sons of the dragon, but is more ferocious than the lion. Suanni is said to love being surrounded by smoke; hence, it is often found in statues in temples, carved on incense burners.

The Sea Horse and the Sky Horse are next to each other, just after the Lion. They are believed to have been adopted from Central Asia. The Records of the Grand Historian states that an envoy of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty brought rare horses to China after he visited the states to the west of China's borders.



The horses often travel in pairs

According to legend, the Sky Horse soars through the sky on its large wings, while the Sea Horse gallops underwater with its scaly skin. The two horses are used as a symbol of a powerful empire.

Xiezhi, the eighth animal, is a goat-like creature with the divine power to distinguish between good and evil. According to legend, when Emperor Shun's adviser was trying a criminal case, he would turn to Xiezhi for help. The beast impales the culprit with one horn. In addition to rooftops, Xiezhi's image can be found on the robes of Qing Dynasty officials tasked with enforcing discipline among the bureaucracy.

The ninth animal, Dunyu, resembles an ox and is believed to dispel floods due to its ability to absorb vast amounts of water.



Yet they are very similar and only differentiate up close

The last mythical animal in the row on the roof is Xingshi, which is the incarnation of Leizhenzi, the god of thunder and lightning. It resembles a monkey with wings on its back and carries a vajra scepter, a Buddhist ritual object that it uses to ward off demons. Due to its connection with Leizhenzi, the animal can protect the palace from lightning strikes.



Dragons from another roof, the level of Chineseness is 10000 percent

Not all at once, but many of these animals can be seen in temples and on ordinary old objects. And they are also very often placed in imperial mausoleums so that they protect the tombs of rulers from evil spirits and plunderers.



And this is a dragon with a bell and a nose like a swan