In ancient Chinese animals, turtles were a unique presence. The ancient auspicious "four spirits" of qilin, phoenix, and dragon are all fictional, with only turtles being animals that exist in reality.

In ancient times, turtles were considered as mediums for communication between heaven and humanity. The ancestors took turtle shells and burned them, interpreting the will of heaven from the cracks in their curvature and density. "Turtle divination" not only influenced the political decisions of states, but also gave birth to characters engraved on turtle shells and animal bones. In early images and legends, turtles always carried a solemn and sacred aura: N ? wa refined stones to repair the sky, a broken turtle was enough to stand four poles, and this turtle was the giant spirit that supported heaven and earth; Fuxi governed the world, and the spirit turtle carrying the river diagram emerged from the water, bringing the code of wisdom to the world; Dayu controlled the floods, and the Luoshui Divine Turtle presented the nine domains of "Hongfan" to help him establish order in the world.

Turtles are still symbols of wealth. As early as the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, turtle shells and seashells were circulated as currency. After the Qin Dynasty, the currency attribute of turtle shell was replaced by metal, but its symbolism as wealth was passed down. The Biography of Turtle Strategy in "Records of the Grand Historian" says: "Those who can be named turtles will have their wealth returned, and their families will become wealthy to millions

In the "Four Symbols" system of Taoism, the guardian deity of the north is Xuanwu, whose image is usually intertwined with turtles and snakes, making turtles an important symbol of northern deities. Later, Xuanwu personified himself as the True Martial Emperor, transforming into a deity with black hair and feet on turtles and snakes. In many Taoist murals, Emperor Zhenwu stands on the clouds, steps on turtles and snakes, majestic and imposing, symbolizing the suppression of evil spirits. At this moment, the turtle becomes a part of the divine power, with a majestic and mysterious aura, returning to its position as a "divine beast" and becoming the mount and symbol of the deity.

In Han tomb stone carvings in Shandong, Henan and other places, the image of a turtle frequently appears, either carrying a fairy mountain, entwining with a snake to form a "Xuanwu", or standing at the feet of N ? wa to support the sky and earth. The image of the turtle has rough and simple lines, a majestic and heavy shape, without delicate rendering, but fully displays the majesty and power of the divine beast.

As time passes, the mysterious color of turtles gradually fades away, and their symbolic meaning quietly shifts, becoming synonymous with auspiciousness and longevity. The ancients longed for longevity, and it is widely believed that turtles have a long lifespan. In the Southern Dynasty's "Shuyi Ji", there is a record that "turtles have fur for a thousand years, a lifespan of five thousand years is called divine turtles, and a lifespan of ten thousand years is called spiritual turtles". As a result, turtles stand shoulder to shoulder with cranes and deer, becoming a symbol of good fortune and longevity. Turtles are often framed with green pine trees, lingzhi mushrooms, and cranes. "Pine turtles live together" and "turtle cranes prolong life" carry the beautiful expectations of the people. Until now, in some places, people still leave a large piece of long hair in front of the child's forehead, like a turtle cover, and a strand of long hair at the back of the head, resembling a turtle tail, commonly known as "turtle tip" or "centenarian hair", in order to pray for children's health and longevity.

The Tang Dynasty developed the reverence for turtles to the extreme. During the Zhenguan period, the court required officials of grade seven or above to wear double giant ten flower silk with turtle shell patterns, in green color. In the Book of Rites, Quli Shang, there is a saying that goes, "Xuanwu is like a turtle. Due to the fact that the character "wu" in Wu Zetian's surname corresponds perfectly to the "Xuanwu" among the four divine beasts, during her reign, turtles were bestowed with supreme honor. Officials above the fifth rank were required to wear turtle bags around their waists, while those above the third rank were adorned with gold ornaments, hence the name "Golden Turtle Bag". Later, Li Shangyin wrote in his poem, 'Marrying a wealthy son-in-law for no reason, betraying the early morning court ceremony of the fragrant woman.' The saying 'wealthy son-in-law' has been passed down to this day.

If the "golden turtle" represents a noble status, then the "trailing turtle" shows a sense of seclusion. In Zhuangzi's "Autumn Water", Zhuangzi uses the turtle's choice of "preferring to live in poverty and following nature" to express his desire for a life that is willing to endure poverty and hardship, and embodies his spiritual pursuit beyond the mundane world. Liu Zhou of the Northern Qi Dynasty quoted this metaphor in his "New Discussions", and many poets of the Tang and Song dynasties incorporated it into their poetry to express their feelings of seclusion. Like Bai Juyi's "Qilin is like a dragon in the chest, like a turtle dragging its tail in the mud", Qian Qi's "Dang Dang Xie Mu Yan, subtly mocking the mud turtle".

During the Tang and Song dynasties, a large number of celebrities with turtle characters in their names also emerged. Tang Dynasty musician Li Guinian, poet Lu Guimeng, poet Zhang Zhihe, originally named Guiling, Song Dynasty scholar Yang Shi, also known as Guishan, and poet Wang Shipeng, also known as Guiling. In the classical novel "Water Margin", the hero Tao Zongwang of Liangshan is nicknamed "Nine Tailed Turtle".

In the Song Dynasty, turtle farming was very popular, and people pioneered the "ancient method of turtle farming" by placing water lilies and calamus in water tanks to create a natural environment for turtles. There are also aquariums in the market that specialize in selling golden turtles and goldfish.

In architecture and sculpture, there is no shortage of the resilience of turtles. Many important stone tablets in ancient times were supported by turtle shaped stone pedestals called "??". It is said that "??" is one of the nine sons born to a dragon, with infinite strength. After the Tang Dynasty, when important figures were recorded and major events were recorded, turtle carrying tablets were often erected. The "Tang Fan Alliance Tablet" in front of the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa is like this. The tablet is engraved with the alliance text between Tang and Tubo in the second year of the Changqing reign of Emperor Muzong of Tang, and has stood for thousands of years under the support of turtles, enduring wind and rain.

The spirit turtle, which carries beautiful meanings, gradually became a derogatory symbol after the Yuan and Ming dynasties, with a sharp decline in public reputation. In Zhang Hua's "Records of Natural History" of the Western Jin Dynasty, it is said that "turtles have no males. When they communicate with snakes, they become pregnant and lay eggs." It is believed that turtles do not have males and must mate with snakes in order to reproduce. This was originally a misinterpretation of turtle breeding methods, but it has been constantly interpreted in later generations and ultimately entangled with the secular concept of marital infidelity. At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, Tao Zongyi wrote in his poem: "All the household members are like rabbits supporting their eyes, and those who sacrifice their lives are like turtles with their heads curled up." "Turtle with its head curled up" became a satire on certain men.

This transformation is also reflected in graphic art. Turtles are no longer noble divine beasts, and sometimes even carry humorous connotations. The Qing Dynasty Huayan painting "Turtle" depicts a turtle with its belly shell facing upwards and its four claws flapping in a playful motion. The image is charmingly simple, and the bottom left corner is stamped with the words "Hehe Xiao", giving it a playful and playful vibe.

However, even during the period when turtles were labeled with negative connotations, their symbolic meaning of auspiciousness and longevity did not completely disappear, but instead formed a complex dual face in culture. The Qing Dynasty bronze turtle crane currently housed in the China Three Gorges Museum in Chongqing is the best evidence, and the base of the bronze turtle symbolizes the stability of the home and the longevity of the business. On one hand, there are satirical symbols in common language, and on the other hand, there are auspicious signs on traditional objects. The image of the turtle exists in a contradictory way in the cultural context of the Ming and Qing dynasties.

The transformation of the image of the spirit turtle is a microcosm of the evolution of social concepts. The spirit turtle, which has traveled for thousands of years, has left various figures in art works. It contains the Chinese people's reverence and cognition for nature, their expectations and insights for life, and their observation and interpretation of the secular world. Nowadays, looking at the turtle images carved on stones, painted on silk paper, and cast on bronze ware, we can still read the rich connotations of traditional culture from them.

(Author: Wang Siyu, PhD student at the Aesthetics Teaching and Research Office of the School of Philosophy, Renmin University of China)

Source: Guangming Daily