In the process of forming its image, the dragon has embraced a variety of weird beast images. Later, as the image of the dragon developed, these strange beast statues incorporated certain characteristics of the dragon, forming the different sayings that the dragon gave birth to nine sons. But there is no precise record of what the nine sons of the dragon are and who ranks first and who ranks second. There are also various opinions among the people, but they all agree. It is said that Zhu Youtang, Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty, asked Li Dongyang, the Minister of Rites, who was famous for his erudition, on a whim: "I heard that the dragon gave birth to nine sons. What are the names of each of the nine sons?" Made a list. According to Li Dongyang's list, the nine sons of the dragon are: Papi (sound as Baxia), Chaofeng, Yazui (sound as Yazi), Bixi (sound as Bixi), Shutu, Chiqi (sound as Chiki), , Pulao (pu, lao):, Suanni (pronounced sour mud), prisoner cow. However, there are far more than just these dragon sons in folklore. Biuan, Pixiu, Taotie (yintaotie), etc. are all said to be the sons of the dragon. In fact, the so-called dragon gave birth to nine sons does not mean that the dragon happened to have nine sons. In ancient Chinese traditional culture, nine is often used to express many things and has the supreme status. Nine is an imaginary number and a noble number, so it is used to describe dragons. If we have to choose nine sons, we should choose the nine who have the greatest influence among the people. Li Dongyang was also in a hurry to make a deal, and the list he proposed was not representative. One is Baxia (turtle clam), which looks like a turtle and likes to bear heavy loads. The big turtle carrying the stone tablet is its image. The second one is Chiki (Chiki, Xiaofeng, Haowang, Aoyu, Owltail), which looks like a four-legged snake with its tail cut off. It likes to look around in dangerous places and also likes to swallow fire. The animals or animal heads on the ridge, corners and roof of the palace are its image. The third one is Pulao, which looks like a dragon but is smaller in size and likes to sing. Living by the sea, but afraid of whales. The animal buttons on ancestral halls, temples and iron bells are their images. According to Pulao's fear of whales, people carved the long logs used to ring the bells into the shape of whales. It is said that the sound of ringing the bells is loud and bright. The fourth one is Biuan (Charter), which looks like a tiger, is powerful and prone to litigation. The tiger head carved on the prison door or standing on the prison door is its image. The fifth is Taotie, which looks like a wolf and is excellent for eating. The animal head carved on the lid of the tripod is its image. The sixth one is Suan Ni (Golden Ni), which looks like a lion, likes fireworks, and is also good at sitting. The animal heads carved on the Buddha's seat and incense burner in the temple are his image. The seventh day is Prison Ox, which looks like a small yellow dragon with scales and horns and loves music. The animal head carved on the Huqin is its image. The eighth one is Yaizi, which looks like a jackal and likes to kill. Its image can often be seen on the handle and scabbard of swords. Jiuyue Jiaotu is shaped like a snail and clam, which tends to keep its mouth shut, so its image is often carved on the head of the door. One of the more influential sayings about "nine sons born from a dragon" is: the eldest son prisons the cow, loves music, and stands on the head of the piano. Some valuable huqins still have the image of a dragon head engraved on their head, which is called "leading huqin". The second son, Yaizhen, looks like a jackal with dragon horns, glaring angrily, his horns drawn back close to his back. They are fond of killing and fighting. They are engraved on sword rings, sword hilts and other weapons or ceremonial guards to serve as a deterrent. The third son mocked the wind and looked like a dog. He was always in danger. The horned beast in this palace is his portrait. These animals lined up in a single line, standing upright at the front of the vertical ridge. The leader of the animals was an "immortal" riding a bird, followed in order by: dragon, phoenix, lion, Pegasus, seahorse, Suan Ni, fish, Xie Zhi, Bullfighting, and entertainment. There is a strict hierarchical system for their placement. Only the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City in Beijing can have all ten of them, and the number of secondary halls must be reduced accordingly. Chaofeng not only symbolizes good luck, beauty and majesty, but also has the meaning of deterring demons and eliminating disasters. The fourth son Pulao, shaped like a dragon but smaller than the dragon, likes music and singing, and is engraved on the button of the bell. It is said that Pulao lives by the sea and is most afraid of whales. Whenever he encounters a whale attack, Pulao screams incessantly. So, people put his image on the bell and carved the long piece of wood that struck the bell into the shape of a whale, using it to strike the bell in order to make the sound louder and louder. The fifth son Suān Ni (suān ní) is also known as Jin Ni and Ling Ni. Suanni is originally an alias for lion, so it is shaped like a lion. It likes smoking and sitting on the foot of the incense burner. It was introduced to China with Buddhism.
Generally, there are three types of materials used to make Pixiu statues: 1. Metal - usually made of copper, because this type of metal is relatively cheap, and its polished color is close to gold. 2. Wood - Some ancient houses will use strong wood to carve Pixiu and place it on the beams to ward off evil spirits. 3. Porcelain - made of different types of jade. Pixiu statues made of different materials can be placed in auspicious positions in Feng Shui. Many geologists believe that they have the effect of attracting wealth. In eight different directions, Pixiu statues made of copper are generally placed to attract wealth. It will be strong. In fact, Pixiu is beneficial to both positive and partial wealth, so the Pixiu image has shown signs of becoming popular in recent years; however, using Pixiu to promote wealth always has a religious overtone, so when the main god of the Xuankong hexagram is Riguishen, Or when the bird, rabbit, and sun are auspicious, the consecrated Pixiu has the strongest power to promote wealth, regardless of whether the work is in the right direction or in the wrong direction. But one thing to note is that for those who commit crimes, Pixiu may not have the power to attract wealth. This is the characteristic of spiritual animals, and Pixiu made of jade has the strongest power to attract wealth. Origin of Pixiu It is said that Pixiu is the ninth prince of the Dragon King. Its staple food is gold, silver and jewelry. Naturally, it is full of treasures. Compared with other auspicious beasts, such as the three-legged toad, it has more heads. Therefore, it is deeply loved by the Jade Emperor and the Dragon King. However, , eating too much will always cause diarrhea, so one day he may defecate in the open because he can't help it, which made the Jade Emperor angry, and slapped him. As a result, he hit his buttocks, and the butthole was sealed. From then on, gold, silver and jewelry could only be used After this allusion spread, Pixiu was regarded as an auspicious beast that attracts wealth and treasures. There are also male and female Pixiu. According to folklore, the male Pixiu represents wealth, while the female Pixiu represents the treasury. If you have wealth, you must have a treasury to keep it. Therefore, most Pixiu collectors collect one pair at a time to truly attract wealth. Make treasure. But if you want to wear it on your body, just use one to avoid fights. The above are all legends, please refer to them! Pixiu likes to sleep lazily, so it is best to pick it up, touch it and play with it every day. , as if to wake him up, wealth will follow. Another wonderful use of Pi Xiu is that if you place Pi Xiu ornaments on your desk, it can help you drive away bad men and avoid unnecessary harassment. According to records in ancient books, Pixiu is a ferocious beast, one of the five auspicious beasts in ancient times (dragon, phoenix, turtle, unicorn), and is known as the beast that attracts wealth. Pixiu was once the totem of two clans in ancient times. Legend has it that he helped the Emperors Yan and Huang in battle and was awarded the title of "Tianlu Beast", which means blessings from heaven. It was designed to protect treasures for emperors and was also a symbol of the royal family. It was called the "Emperor Treasure". Because Pixiu specializes in eating ferocious beasts and evil spirits, it is also called "evil spirit." Ancient Chinese Feng Shui scholars believe that Pixiu is an auspicious beast that can turn disaster into good fortune. Pixiu has twenty-six shapes and seventy-nine incarnations. It has a big mouth, a big belly, and no anus. It only eats but does not poop. It symbolizes that it can bring wealth from all directions. It can only enter but not exit. At the same time, it can control the house and ward off evil spirits. It is specially designed for The master gathers wealth and holds power. Ancient sages believe that fate is destined, but fortune can be changed. Therefore, there is a good wish among the people that "if you touch the Pixiu once, you will have strong luck, if you touch the Pixiu again, you will have good fortune, and if you touch the Pixiu three times, you will be prosperous."