Chinese Painting Art: The Messengers of the Sky

Auspicious Birds

The Spring Dawn

Meng Haoran

Slumbering, I know not the spring dawn is peeping.

But everywhere the singing birds are cheeping.

Last night I heard the rain dripping and the wind weeping.

How many petals were now on the ground sleeping!

You may be very familiar with this poem, which was written by Meng Haoran, a major and famous Tang Dynasty poet. Birds are a very common image in Chinese ancient poetry. Different birds have different cultural meanings. Some kinds of birds are regarded as symbols of freedom and happiness. Mandarin ducks symbolize love and commitment; and the peacock is the emblem of good luck and abundance. In geomancy applications, birds are powerful symbols of new opportunities that are always there for you. Inviting birds into your environment is believed to be the same thing as inviting good blessings from heaven. Paintings of birds can definitely help to boost your career and also bring in considerate and helpful friends.

Chinese Birds Painting

Crane

Song of Autumn
Liu Yuxi(Tang)
The desolate scene of autumn has ever aroused lamentation,
Yet I opine spring morn is not as fair as autumn day.
When in the sunny sky a crane soars on the cloudy way,
Towards the blue my heart would fly with poetic aspiration.

From the last two lines, just the cranes refreshed the poet's mind and arose the poet's poetic aspiration. So the crane can represent a lasting soaring spirit, health, and promising. In ancient times, the crane was also regarded as having a long life span and known as an auspicious bird. In Chinese painting, cranes are usually painted with other images of longevity such as pine trees and peaches.

Chinese Crane Painting

Eagles soaring in the sky
"Eagles cleave the air,
Fish glide under the shallow water;
Under freezing skies a million creatures contend in freedom.
Brooding over this immensity,
I ask, on this bondless land, who rules over man's destiny?"
These famous sentences were written by Mao Zedong, the founder of the People's Republic of China, who greatly inspired myriad Chinese people to transform the gloomy world. Chairman Mao used the image eagle as a symbol of power and far-eyesight to well represent his ambition. So, if you are still concerning about your career or family, select an eagle painting would bring a new look. Display of eagles gives confidence and growth in business with qualities of leadership like the sharp witted eagle flying high in the sky. Great protection and opportunity will come after the eagle.

Chinese Eagle Painting

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