People can see a column of "small animals" on the roof of ancient Chinese buildings, which is the legendary ridge beast . Shenyang Palace Museum The Qing Palace Animal Shape Cultural Relics Exhibition is being exhibited, and the ridge beasts above these temples are "invited" to the exhibition hall to let the audience get a close look at the auspicious beasts guarding the palace.
The picture shows the ridge beast on the building of the Shenyang Forbidden City. Photo provided by Shenyang Palace Museum
Li Li, deputy director of Shenyang Palace Museum, said that when the ancients built auspicious animals in it, hoping to use these symbolic evil-proof objects to bring good luck and avoid fire and disasters.
Ring beasts, also known as eaves and running beasts, are called different beasts on different roofs. On the ridge, it is called drooping beast , and on the drooping , it is called ridge beast, but all the references are ridge beasts. The origin of the ridge beast can be traced back to Han . At that time, 号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号号� In the Song Dynasty, buildings gradually became established, and the official revision of "Creation of the Face" began to have regulations on the appearance of ridge beasts; in the Qing Dynasty, ridge beasts were finally matured and established as decorations on official buildings.
Li Li said that the animals on the roofs of palace buildings in the Qing Dynasty were relatively fixed, and the number of common ridge beasts was generally odd. The more small beasts there were, the higher the level. The highest-level ancient building, except for the Phoenix Immortal in front, there are a total of ten established beasts.
, built in 1625, , Shenyang Forbidden City, is an accumulative palace complex. The existing types of ridge beasts are phoenix immortals, dragons, phoenixes, lions, silhouettes, , seahorse, silhouettes, , bullfighting, pigs, sheep, etc. In the early Qing Dynasty, there were also ridge beasts such as pigs, sheep, and dogs on the buildings of the Shenyang Forbidden City, which was different from the types of ridge beasts stipulated in the official building codes promulgated during the Yongzheng period. After the capital was moved to Beijing, especially after the Qianlong period, the ridge beasts in the Shenyang Forbidden City were consistent with the ridge beasts stipulated in the official building codes, and the arrangement was strict and the shape was relatively fixed.
"With the development of history, these auspicious beasts have gradually become part of the culture." Li Li said that this exhibition selected many cultural relics related to animals in ancient buildings, and the audience can see the colorful glass ridge beasts, Tianma, seahorse, yellow glass ridge beasts, phoenixes, lions, sheep, Tianma, etc.
The picture shows the ridge beast silhouette displayed in the exhibition hall. Photo provided by Shenyang Palace Museum
"The shapes and patterns of auspicious birds and auspicious beasts are important parts of Chinese traditional culture. They originated from the ancient worship of nature and the awe of the world, and also contained ancient thought, culture and life philosophy." Li Li said that after generations of evolution and development, by the Ming and Qing dynasties, the symbolic meanings of auspicious birds and auspicious beasts have become more and more abundant and unified, and the shapes have become the embodiment of the spirit, and thoughts are transformed into patterns. They are in various shapes, inherited from generation to generation, and are endless, and eventually become distinctive symbols of ancient society. The cultural connotations they carry have long been deeply rooted in people's hearts and condensed into the roots of Chinese traditional culture.
Reporter: Zhao Hongnan
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