|
Jintong (mythology)
Jintong () is a deity in Chinese mythology and Chinese traditional religion who, along with his female counterpart Yunü (Jade Girl), are favored servants of the Jade Emperor and Zhenwudadi. They are believed to serve as guides in the underworld and the protectors of the houses and temples. Legends Golden Boy and Jade Girl have appeared in several stories since the Song and Yuan dynasties and have became important figures in Chinese mythology. Specific examples are the southern opera version of the legend, ''Jintong and Yunü'', and Yuan dynasty writer Jia Zhongming's zaju by the same name. In the ''Avatamsaka Sutra'', Jintong and Yunü seek enlightenment and are acolytes of the goddess Guan Yin. In this context, Yunü is called Longnü and Jintong is called Shancai Tongzi. Some folktales say that Xue Dingshan and Fan Lihua were originally the Golden Boy and Jade Girl. The Jade Emperor was furious with them and wanted to punish them for breaking the celestial utensils. Fort ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yunü
Yunü () is a goddess in Chinese mythology and Chinese traditional religion who, along with her male counterpart Jintong (Golden Boy), are favored servants of the Jade Emperor and Zhenwudadi. They are originally from the Taoist or Daoist Religion. In the ''Avatamsaka Sutra'', Jintong and Yunü seek enlightenment and are acolytes of the goddess Guan Yin or Goddess of Mercy. In this context, Yunü is called Longnü and Jintong is called Shancai Tongzi. They are also believed to serve as guides in the underworld and the protectors of houses and temples. Some of the statue could be found on some graves at Bukit Brown Cemetery as is believed to serve as guides in the Spirit World or the Underworld. This couple helps virtuous souls over a golden bridge to paradise, and helps souls whose good deeds outweighed the bad, over a silver bridge to paradise. Therefore by erecting the Golden Boy and Jade Maiden by the grave of the deceased, living family members hope that the deceased wil ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Longnü
Longnü (; Sanskrit: ''nāgakanyā''; Vietnamese: ''Long nữ''), translated as ''Dragon Girl'', along with Sudhana are considered acolytes of the bodhisattva Guanyin (Avalokiteśvara) in Chinese Buddhism. Her presence in Guanyin's iconography was influenced by tantric sutras celebrating the esoteric Amoghapāśa and Thousand-armed forms of Guanyin, which mention Longnü offering Guanyin a priceless pearl in gratitude for the latter visiting the Dragon King's palace at the bottom of the ocean to teach the inhabitants her salvific dharani. There are no scriptural sources connecting both Sudhana and Longnü to Avalokiteśvara at the same time. It has been suggested that the acolytes are representations of the two major Mahāyāna texts, the ''Lotus Sūtra'' and the '' Avataṃsaka Sūtra'', in which Longnü and Sudhana appear, respectively. The depiction of Longnü and Sudhana with Avalokiteśvara may have been influenced by Yunü (''Jade Maiden'') and Jintong (''Golden Youth'') ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Butterfly Lovers
The Butterfly Lovers is a Chinese legend of a tragic love story of a pair of lovers, Liang Shanbo () and Zhu Yingtai (), whose names form the title of the story. The title is often abbreviated to Liang Zhu (). The story was selected as one of China's Four Great Folktales by the "Folklore Movement" in the 1920s—the others being the Legend of the White Snake (''Baishezhuan''), Lady Meng Jiang, and The Cowherd and the Weaving Maid (''Niulang Zhinü''). Six cities in China have collaborated in 2004 on a formal application for the Proclamation of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity on the legend at UNESCO, submitted in 2006 through the Chinese Ministry of Culture. Legend The legend of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai is set in the Eastern Jin dynasty (266–420 AD). Zhu Yingtai is the ninth child and only daughter of the wealthy Zhu family of Shangyu, Zhejiang. Although women are traditionally discouraged from taking up scholarly pursuits, Zhu manages to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lady Meng Jiang
Lady Meng Jiang or Meng Jiang Nü () is a Chinese tale with many variations. Later versions are set in the Qin dynasty, when Lady Meng Jiang's husband was pressed into service by imperial officials and sent as corvee labor to build the Great Wall of China. Lady Meng Jiang heard nothing after his departure, so she set out to bring him winter clothes. Unfortunately, by the time she reached the Great Wall, her husband had already died. Hearing the bad news, she wept so bitterly that a part of the Great Wall collapsed, revealing his bones. The story is now counted as one of China's Four Great Folktales, the others being the Legend of the White Snake (''Baishezhuan''), Butterfly Lovers, and The Cowherd and the Weaving Maid (''Niulang Zhinü''). Chinese folklorists in the early 20th century discovered that the legend existed in many forms and genres and evolved over the last 2,000 years. The section of the Great Wall that was toppled in the legend is the Great Wall of Qi in today's ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Old Man Of The South Pole
The Old Man of the South Pole (in or ja, 南極老人) is the Taoist deification of Canopus, the brightest star of the constellation Carina. It is the symbol of happiness and longevity in Far Eastern culture. Description The Old Man of the South Pole is often depicted in Chinese pictures as an old man with a long white beard with a deer by his side. This style of picture is related to the story of an emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty, who had invited such an old man from the street and later considered the old man as the sign of his longevity. In Chinese, Canopus is usually called the Star of the Old Man (in ) or the Star of the Old Man of the South Pole (in ). Since Carina is a Southern constellation, Canopus is rarely seen in Northern China and, if seen in good weather, looks reddish lying near the southern horizon. Because the color red is the symbol of happiness and longevity in China, Canopus is also known in China and the neighboring countries of Korea, Japan, and Vi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fan Lihua
Fan Lihua (樊梨花) is a fictional folk heroine in Chinese folklore and a legendary female general from the Western Liang during the early years of the Tang Dynasty. She was the wife of Xue Dingshan and the daughter-in-law of the famous early Tang Dynasty general, Xue Rengui. Fan Lihua is one of the four folk heroines of ancient China along with Hua Mulan, Mu Guiying and Liang Hongyu. The story of her husband Xue Dingshan, fighting alongside each other on the battlefield is well-known and has had a far-reaching influence. Fan Lihua's legendary stories are expressed in various forms of literary and artistic works, especially in movies, TV dramas and songs. Records The first written record of Fan Lihua is the "Shuo Tang San Zhuan" (说唐三传, Three Stories from the Tang Dynasty) by Rulian Jushi, written during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. One of the three stories is "Xue Dingshan Zhengxi", which is about the love story between Xue Dingshan and Fan Lihua. The story o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Xue Dingshan
Xue () is the pinyin romanization of the Chinese surname 薛 (Xuē). It is romanized as Hsüeh in Wade-Giles. In Hong Kong and Macau it is usually romanized through its Cantonese pronunciation Sit. In Korean, it corresponds to Seol (설), in Japanese to Setsu and in Vietnamese to Tiết. in Indonesia and Netherlands, it is commonly spelled as Siek. According to the 2010 Chinese Census, it is the 76th most common surname in China, a sharp decline from 48th in 1982. In a study by geneticist Yuan Yida on the distribution of Chinese surnames, people who carry the name Xue are dispersed throughout the country and is most heavily concentrated in Shanxi. It is the 68th name on the ''Hundred Family Surnames'' poem.K. S. Tom. 989(1989). Echoes from Old China: Life, Legends and Lore of the Middle Kingdom. University of Hawaii Press. . Origin The surname traces back to the State of Xue in what is modern day Shandong. Yu the Great, founding emperor of the Xia dynasty, bestowed upon his min ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sudhana
Sudhanakumāra (), mainly known as Sudhana and Shancai or Shancai Tongzi in Chinese, and translated as ''Child of Wealth'', is the protagonist in the last and longest chapter of the ''Avatamsaka Sutra''. Sudhana appears in Buddhist, Taoist and folk stories; in most of them he is one of the acolytes of the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara (Guanyin) and is paired with Longnü "Dragon Girl". He and Longnü being depicted with Guanyin was most likely influenced by Yunü (''Jade Maiden'') and Jintong (''Golden Youth'') who both appear in the iconography of the Jade Emperor. A fictionalised account of Sudhana is detailed in the classical novel ''Journey to the West'', where Sudhana is portrayed as a villain, Red Boy, who is eventually subdued by Guanyin and becomes the bodhisattva's attendant. Gandavyuha Sutra Sudhana was a youth from India who was seeking bodhi (enlightenment). At the behest of the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, Sudhana takes a pilgrimage on his quest for enlightenment and stud ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Guan Yin
Guanyin () is a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. She is the East Asian representation of Avalokiteśvara ( sa, अवलोकितेश्वर) and has been adopted by other Eastern religions, including Chinese folk religion. She was first given the appellation of "Goddess of Mercy" or "Mercy Goddess" by Jesuit missionaries in China. Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means " he One WhoPerceives the Sounds of the World." On the 19th day of the sixth lunar month, Guanyin's attainment of Buddhahood is celebrated. Some Buddhists believe that when one of their adherents departs from this world, they are placed by Guanyin in the heart of a lotus, and then sent to the western pure land of Sukhāvatī. Guanyin is often referred to as the "most widely beloved Buddhist Divinity" with miraculous powers to assist all those who pray to her, as is mentioned in the ''Pumen chapter'' of ''Lotus Sutra'' and ''Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra''. Several large temples in East Asia a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jade Emperor
The Jade Emperor or Yudi ( or , ') in Chinese culture, traditional religions and myth is one of the representations of the first god ( '). In Daoist theology he is the assistant of Yuanshi Tianzun, who is one of the Three Pure Ones, the three primordial emanations of the Tao. He is often identified with Śakra in Chinese Buddhist cosmology. The Jade Emperor is known by many names, including Heavenly Grandfather (, '), which originally meant "Heavenly Duke", which is used by commoners; the Jade Lord; the Highest Emperor; Great Emperor of Jade (, ' or , '). Chinese mythology There are many stories in Chinese mythology involving the Jade Emperor. He can also be regarded as a traditional figure among the White Lotus secret society. Origin It was said that Jade Emperor was originally the crown prince of the kingdom of Pure Felicity and Majestic Heavenly Lights and Ornaments. At birth, he emitted a wondrous light that filled the entire kingdom. When he was young, he was kind, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Avatamsaka Sutra
The ' (IAST, sa, 𑀅𑀯𑀢𑀁𑀲𑀓 𑀲𑀽𑀢𑁆𑀭) or ''Buddhāvataṃsaka-nāma-mahāvaipulya-sūtra (The Mahāvaipulya Sūtra named “Buddhāvataṃsaka”)'' is one of the most influential Mahāyāna sutras of East Asian Buddhism. In Classical Sanskrit, ''avataṃsaka'' means garland, wreath, or any circular ornament, such as an earring.'''' Thus, the title may be rendered in English as ''A Garland of Buddhas'', ''Buddha Ornaments'', or ''Buddha’s Garland''. In Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit, the term ''avataṃsaka'' means “a great number,” “a multitude,” or “a collection.” This is matched by the Tibetan title of the sutra, which is ''A Multitude of Buddhas'' (''""''). The ''Buddhāvataṃsaka'' has been described by the translator Thomas Cleary "the most grandiose, the most comprehensive, and the most beautifully arrayed of the Buddhist scriptures." The ' describes a cosmos of infinite realms upon realms, mutually containing one another. This sut ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zaju
''Zaju'' was a form of Chinese opera which provided entertainment through a synthesis of recitations of prose and poetry, dance, singing, and mime, with a certain emphasis on comedy (or, happy endings). Although with diverse and earlier roots, ''zaju'' has particularly been associated with the time of the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), and ''zaju'' remains important in terms of the historical study of the theater arts as well as Classical Chinese literature and poetry. ''Zaju'' is known to have been performed during the earlier Song (960–1279) and Jin (1115–1234) dynasties. The various particulars of the ''zaju'' multimedia performance were derived from many and diverse sources of musical, dance, poetry, and theater traditions. Characteristics The Yuan ''zaju'' were poetic music dramas comprising four acts, with the "act" (齣, ''chu'') defined as a set of songs following and completing a certain musical modal progression. Occasionally one or two "wedges" (楔子, ''xiezi''), or s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
_-_BL_Or._7377.jpg "Click for more on -> Avatamsaka Sutra")
