The auspiciousness of the fairy bones - cranes
Cranes, including white and red-crowned cranes, have always been a symbol of immortality, longevity, noble character, and respected status in traditional Chinese culture. For example, the patterns woven on the court clothes of first-class civil officials in the Ming and Qing Dynasties are cranes. The conventional "crane pattern" has far-reaching significance in the long history of China's development, usually implying wealth, auspiciousness, longevity, etc.
The reason cranes are so auspicious in the culture lies in their demeanor.
Crane is the name of the crane family of birds; there are 15 species in 6 genera. Cranes are found in distributed continents and islands except for Antarctica and South America. There are nine species of cranes in China, the most famous of which is the red-crowned crane. The red-crowned crane is about 1.4 meters long. Predominantly white, black neck and tail and bright red bare skin in the center of its head. Red-crowned cranes are large wading birds with long legs, long necks, and long beaks. Its shape is elegant, in line with the characteristics of immortals in Chinese mythology. Because of their large size and activities in wetlands and swamps, there are few natural enemies of red-crowned cranes in the wild. There is a sense of immortality within their every gesture. The call of the red-crowned crane is loud, ethereal, and profound as if it can penetrate the sky and go straight to the sky.
In Taoism, the crane is a symbol of longevity, so cranes are sometimes called "immortal cranes" (xian he), and the ancestors of Taoism mostly used them as mounts. In Chinese tradition, there is also a saying that when an older adult dies, he will go west riding a crane.
People in China, Korea, and Japan often draw cranes with vigorous ancient pine trees together to symbolize longevity. In addition, cranes also have many collocations and meanings in artworks. For example, a pattern of two cranes flying toward the sun implies promotion and progression. The auspicious design of a crane standing on the peak of a rock often appeared on the official uniform of high-ranking officials in ancient times.
Cranes, male and female, are representations of high virtues. The ancients often used the white crane as a metaphor for a virtuous person with noble morals and called a person who is self-cultivating and clean and has a reputation as a "scholar of the crane."
When cranes sleep, they stand on one foot. Some experts say that this is mainly to prevent hypothermia caused by excessive energy consumption. After all, their legs are too thin. When they sleep, they tuck one leg into their wings to keep them warm to reduce energy loss.
The crane is one of the noblest animals of ancient people. It symbolizes holiness, elegance, and longevity and has profoundly impacted people's culture. However, many species of cranes are on the verge of extinction. For example, there are only 1,900 red-crowned cranes left in the world. The concept of protecting animals should always be deeply rooted in our hearts. We must never forget the importance of wildlife protection and put it into action.