Qilin has nothing to do with its shape. It is also called "Qilin" or simply "Lin". It is an animal recorded in ancient Chinese books. Together with phoenix, turtle and dragon, it is called the "four spirits". It is the mount of God. The ancients regarded Qilin as a benevolent and auspicious beast. The male is called Qi and the female is called Lin 1: An animal in ancient legends. It looks like a deer, with a single horn on its head, scales all over its body, and a tail like an ox's tail. 2: Used to describe people with outstanding talents. 3: The second of the four spirits, dragon, lin, phoenix and turtle. Among the four spirit beasts, its status is second only to the green dragon. Later, due to the feudal emperor's praise of dragon and phoenix, Qilin was excluded from the folk culture. Become a unique representative of folk auspiciousness. Kirin culture is China's traditional folk culture. The hope that Qilin will give birth to a child is one of the fertility cults in ancient China. Qilin represents peace and brings good harvest, good fortune, longevity and beauty. According to metaphysics, Qilin was born from the scattering of the stars of the year, so it represents auspiciousness and contains benevolence and righteousness. In modern times, the meaning of Qilin is as follows: (1) Seeking and raising children. The traditional Chinese concept of childbearing is to hope for an early heir, to have many children, to have a full house of descendants, and to have many children and good fortune. "There are three types of unfilial piety, and the greatest is not having children." The inability to have children and carry on the family line is regarded as the greatest unfilial piety. This traditional concept is deeply rooted and affects generation after generation. Whether it is a woman's pregnancy, the birth of a baby, the birth of a child, or other celebrations, it all reflects people's unremitting efforts to pray for this. Because Qilin once visited sages like Confucius, people believed that Qilin could both send children and bless them. Therefore, the folk culture phenomenon with the theme of "Qilin sending a child" is not only seen in pictures and prayers, but also in activities during the year. It is expressed in a wide range of ways, with the intention of praying and wishing for a child to be born early and a virtuous descendant. In modern times, Changsha, Hunan Province, held dragon lantern dancing activities every new year. At that time, whenever the dragon lantern performer comes to a house with an infertile woman, the host family will give additional gifts and let the dragon dance around the infertile woman. Then the dragon's body will be shortened, with a child riding on it, and it will circle in front of the hall. Travel for a week to show that Qilin is sending his son. In some places in Shandong, there is also a way of praying for a child, in which an infertile woman holds a paper-tied unicorn carrying a child in a circle in the courtyard or main room. Some people also tie colorful embroidery to the corners of the unicorn to pray for the unicorn to bring a child. As far as the patterns of "Qilin Sending His Son" are concerned, there are both complex and simple ones. The more traditional ones may have a boy as the center, wearing a long-life lock, holding a lotus and a sheng; or the boy may ride a unicorn with a book hanging on the corner; or there may be a lady escorting the boy behind him, with the lady holding an umbrella and a fan. The simple one shows a boy riding a unicorn and holding a lotus. In folk prints, there are often auspicious couplets such as "Qilin'er in the sky, Zhuangyuanlang underground". (2) Architectural decorations. Brick and wood carving is an important way of architectural decoration in ancient China. It has rich themes and exquisite carvings, giving the architectural shape a vivid image. Brick carvings are mostly used for the veneer of brick structures and the outer eaves of brick walls of wooden structures. In addition to being used on the outer eaves of buildings, wood carvings are mostly used for interior eaves decoration. Tianjin brick carving is undoubtedly the leader in brick carving art. During the Qianlong and Jiaqing years of the Qing Dynasty, it was a delicate job that also combined with tile work. Brick carving artists were called "carving workers". During the Daoguang period, it developed into an independent industry and formed the world-famous "Tianjin Brick Carving". The wood carving craftsmanship on the hanging flower door, internal and external balconies, forehead railings, flower covers, four screens, flower panels, flower teeth and other decorations are also unparalleled. Most Chinese buildings, especially residential buildings, are of brick and wood structure. Brick, wood or stone carvings are commonly used to decorate eaves, gables, door lintels, window frames, screen walls, column bases, board walls, roof ridges, drum stones, etc. with meanings. It is a profound auspicious pattern, and the unicorn is one of the commonly used auspicious animals. Some decorate stone unicorns on both sides of the gate, which not only shows the nobility of the gate, but also protects the house from evil spirits. (3) Ornaments and patterns. From ancient times to the present, people like to wear Kirin craft statues as amulets on their bodies. They are made of gold, silver, copper, jade, etc. They especially pay attention to wearing "Kilin locks" for infants and young children, in order to pray for their children to live a long life. . In addition, traditional patterns based on the artistic shape of Kirin are also widely used. During the reign of Wu Zetian in the Tang Dynasty, unicorns were used as decorations and embroidered on robes, which were called "Qilin robes" and were specially awarded to military officers of third rank or above. In the Qing Dynasty, unicorns were embroidered on the "buzi" of first-rank military officers, which became a symbol of the hierarchy. Kirin's vivid shadow has been left in folk paper-cutting, New Year pictures, embroidery, batik and other arts and crafts. (4) Praise and congratulations. Folks often praise other people's children with such good names as "Qilin'er", "Lin'er", and "Linzi". For example, "Chen Shu·Chu Ling Biography" of the Southern Dynasties said: "The master of Shi Bao Zhi was said to be wise in the world. When the tomb was several years old, his family took it with him. Bao Zhi touched its top with his hand and said, 'It is a stone unicorn in the sky.' "Tang Du Fu's "Du Gongbu Thatched Cottage Poetry Notes: Songs of Xu Qing's Second Son": "Don't you see that Xu Qing's second son has a strange birth, and he is following him in auspicious dreams. Confucius and Shi Shi hug him, and they are the children of unicorns in the sky."; "Lin Zi Feng Chu" is used as a metaphor for the descendants of nobles; "Lin Zhi" is used to praise the virtuous descendants; "Lin Zhi Presents the Sample" is used as the horizontal mark of the wedding couplet to bless the birth of kind offspring; "Lin Gan Feng Marrow" is used as a metaphor for extremely powerful people. Rare food; use "linjiao phoenix mouth" and "phoenix feathers and linjiao" to praise and indicate that the items are precious.