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.