China has been troubled by tigers for generations. Why can a tiger be a mascot?

China suffered from tigers frequently in past dynasties, and the culture of fighting tigers in China has a long history, which appeared as early as three or four thousand years ago in Oracle Bone Inscriptions records. Tiger culture, which originated in China, has a long-term close relationship with the people of China. Therefore, the ancient people in China worshipped tigers very much, especially in areas with dense tiger populations such as South China and Northeast China.

The survival contradiction between man and tiger will inevitably lead to various conflicts. In ancient China, however, the productivity was relatively low, so it was difficult for individuals to accomplish the task of fighting tigers alone. Later, a group of people, led by a king or a vassal, hunted tigers together. Soon, killing tigers also became a way for the emperor to declare force. It is recorded in Yi Xun Xiao Shi Si; The story of Zhou Wuwang's hunting is "The King of Wu is inaugural, and there are two birds and tigers in twenty".

By the Qin and Han Dynasties, agriculture had further developed, but during that period, wars continued, and stories such as flying general Li Guang killing tigers appeared. "Historical Records Biography of General Li" records: "I heard that there are tigers in Guangju County, so I tasted them. And shooting a tiger in the right Beiping, the tiger Teng hurt widely and shot it widely. "

During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, after the war in the Central Plains, the tiger disaster was relatively peaceful. However, under the long-term cultural infection, the tiger has gradually become a symbol of strength, courage and awe, not just beauty and majesty. Tiger is the king of beasts, and it has always played an important role in China's cultural tradition.

During the Tang and Song Dynasties, conflicts between people and tigers increased, and the people even summed up a set of strategies to kill tigers. "Taiping Guangji": "There is a hunter in Xunyang who often takes tigers as his profession and uses a crossbow in the road."

But the tiger disaster was more serious in Song and Yuan Dynasties. At that time, the story of Song Wu's killing tigers reflected the seriousness of the tiger disaster at that time, and people eagerly expected heroes like Song Wu to kill the people. The worst period of tiger disaster was the Ming and Qing Dynasties. After all, the rapid growth of population directly leads to the compression of the living space of tigers, forcing tigers to challenge like humans.

Take the southeast region as an example, the number of tiger attacks is 5 14, which is almost 1 on average every year, and it is getting more and more serious with the passage of time.

Although we have been fighting tigers for so long, the existence of tigers is not without benefits. For example, as early as 2000 years ago, there was a saying in the Book of Rites that "tigers eat wild boar to benefit the people, and wild boar harms crops in the fields". Help people kill wild boar and protect crops. Therefore, the mighty and handsome tiger has almost become the perfection in people's minds.

And under the long-term cultural influence, the tiger soon became a symbol of majesty and strength. And show the image of the tiger in ink painting to express our admiration, and even put our spirit on the tiger. Finally, the tiger has become a very important theme in China's 5,000-year cultural history.

In China folklore, tigers kill the wicked and protect the good. At the same time, nature is considered as a powerful creature, endowed with the ability to resist three major family disasters: fire, thieves and evil spirits. Tiger paintings also often appear on the walls facing the entrance in buildings to ensure that demons will not break into houses casually. Even in modern times, we often see children wearing tiger hats and shoes to ward off evil spirits, hoping that children can grow up healthily. In the Year of the Tiger, we will see some parents draw a prince with wine on their children's foreheads, pinning their expectations on their children.

Tiger also plays an important role in China's classical literature and performing arts. It is also the protagonist of many folk stories and proverbs. In addition to the above-mentioned Song Wu killing tigers, there are Li Kui jy killing four tigers, Feng Fu killing tigers, Zhong Fu killing tigers and so on.

The culture of fighting tigers also makes the image of tigers synonymous with success and achievement in China, and the symbolic meaning of tigers is as ever-changing as this noble animal itself.