Is there such a creature as Kirin?

According to the Records of Ming History, from the 12th year of Yongle to the 15th year of Yongle, that is, the prosperous period of Zheng He's voyage to the West, the western countries "Kingdom of Bongla", "Kingdom of Marin" and "Kingdom of Adan" successively presented treasures and solemnly presented the legendary "beast"-Kirin to the Ming Dynasty. "History of the Ming Dynasty" described the appearance of this unicorn in detail: "The front foot is nine feet high, the back foot is six feet, and the neck is six feet long. There are two, short-legged oxtail deer." This charm was also called the collective excitement of the Ming Dynasty at that time. Judy, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, specially "received" Kirin at Fengtianmen, and officials from the civil and military departments also congratulated him. Shen Du, a painter, was also ordered to complete the masterpiece "Ruiying Kirin Map", and recorded this important moment of "the arrival of the beast" with vivid and wonderful pens.

Of course, as long as modern people know a little about animals, it is not difficult to guess the "identity" of this unicorn-it is obviously a docile giraffe on the African continent.

So the prototype of Kirin is really a giraffe? At least in the eyes of the Ming people at that time, it was very reliable: in the ritual system of the Ming Dynasty, Kirin was "very popular" from the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, and the official clothes of the Ming Dynasty should be "embroidered with Kirin", and Kirin sculptures were also common as "town houses" in buildings such as imperial tombs and temples. At this time, Kirin is mostly in the shape of a deer's hoof, especially with a long neck, which is particularly similar to giraffes from Africa.

Of course, the giraffe's "Kirin" status also needs the rule of the Ming emperor Judy. In the traditional culture of China, Kirin belongs to the sacred animal symbolizing "auspiciousness". For Judy who ascended the throne by "Jingnan", the giraffe was "certified" as "Kirin", which not only proved the legitimacy of his accession to the throne, but also indicated that he would govern the country, level the world and bring peace to the people. Therefore, during the Yongle period, not only "Entering Kirin" and "Entering Kirin" became important programs of Zheng He's voyage to the West, but also "buying Kirin" became an important procurement task. According to ancient records, such as "West Guo Fan Ji", "Ying Ya Sheng Lan" and so on. In the purchasing list of Zheng He's fleet, "Kirin" (giraffe) is juxtaposed with coral corals and belongs to the "overseas treasure" that must be bought.

And this is just another reason why giraffes can be "certified" as "Kirin": affordable!

If you look up the map, you will find that several countries that gave "Gong Qilin" and "Jin Qilin" in the Ming Dynasty, such as "Bangla" and "Adan", are basically South Asian countries. The "Bangra country" is actually Bangladesh today. These countries don't produce giraffes at all, so where did this "Kirin" (giraffe) come from? In fact, giraffes were very popular trade commodities in the Arabian Sea at that time. They were not only used as gifts when traveling between countries, but also transported by businessmen to West Asia and even European countries for sale. The arrival of Zheng He's fleet naturally became the most needed "treasure" at this time of the Ming Dynasty.

However, in the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, Kirin was transformed into a beast style, even merged with the image of liger, and its "face value" was also close to that of liger. Such changes also came from the changes of various cultural schools in China at that time. Subsequently, in the Sui, Tang, Song and Yuan Dynasties, the shape of Kirin was constantly changing, especially in the Yuan Dynasty, various new shapes such as "dragon head", "tiger head" and "deer body" appeared, and Jia appeared on his body. After the evolution of this generation, it developed to the early Ming Dynasty and suddenly "fit" with the image of giraffe.

In the Qing Dynasty, giraffes stopped talking, and the image of Kirin changed again, and the "leading deer body" or "leading lion body" became the mainstream. For example, the Kirin scheduling in the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace is mostly a "dragon head", which symbolizes the awesome majesty of the royal family. It can be said that the original Kirin, in the image of the Spring and Autumn Period, Qin and Han Dynasties, originated from an animal such as the roe deer, and then changed constantly in the past dynasties, and was given a new form. These changes have also become a reflection of the economic and cultural development of their respective dynasties.

A unicorn, for thousands of years, how many ideals and aspirations, how many expectations of managing the world, have been carried by it. How many "Kirin" with different charms also come from this. It is no exaggeration to say that if you know Kirin, you can have a deeper understanding of the historical and cultural changes in China.