In traditional Chinese culture, there has always been a saying that "there are elephants in peace" and "happy elephants bring peace". In the pronunciation of the Chinese language, "Xiang" and "Xiang" are homophonic, which means "auspiciousness, tranquility, and eternal foundation." Xiang culture is an important part of the traditional culture of the Dai people.
The Dai people believe that the elephant is a symbol of strength, honor, sanctity and nobility, which can bring good weather, abundant harvests, peace and tranquility, and has the meaning of warding off evil spirits, bringing good fortune, calming the mind and calming the house.
Customs:
In the cultural customs of the Dai people, elephants are respected as auspicious animals. Dehong is the "Dianyue Elephant Country" recorded in Sima Qian's "Historical Records". It has been a land rich in elephants since ancient times. The ancestors of the Dai people have domesticated elephants and used them for riding, fighting, and transportation. It has a long history In the Tang Dynasty, there was even a phenomenon of "the local custom raised elephants for plowing fields and still burned their dung", that is, elephants were used to collaborate in production.
In history books, there are many records of elephants coming to Beijing for pilgrimage. Especially after the Dehong Dai chieftain system was established, almost all tribute lists had the word "elephant" in them. Zhu Yuanzhang even set up a special system for this purpose. The unified management of elephant taming centers has formed a "tribute culture" of elephants.
What is even more interesting is that in the ancient society of the Dai people, there were senior military generals who specialized in commanding elephant soldiers. In Dai language, they were called "Zhao Menzhang", which means Wanxiang Guan, referring to the military attache, which means "to command all the elephants." "King of Soldiers" is similar to the "Da Sima" of the feudal central court, with a distinguished status.