What Is Qilin (Kylin)?

Qilin (Kylin) is an auspicious beast in ancient Chinese mythology, often regarded as a symbol of auspiciousness, happiness, as well as divinity. It is also known as the Five Great Auspicious Beasts along with dragons, phoenixes, turtles, and Pixiu (Pi Yao). Qilin is usually depicted as a huge animal with solemn face. According to the "Rui Ying Tu", qilin has a sheep head, wolf hooves, a round head, as well as a colorful body, standing about 2 meters high. While according to another ancient literary work named "Origin of Chinese Characters", the body of a qilin looks like a musk deer, with a tail resembling a dragon's tail, and also has dragon scales and a horn. In legend, qilin only appears in auspicious and great moments, and its appearance often symbolizes the prosperity and auspiciousness of the country.

Qilin (Kylin) represents supreme authority as well as justice in ancient Chinese culture, and is also considered to be able to ensure the safety of human beings. In folklore, good things often happen in places where qilin appears, so people are convinced that qilin is able to bring auspiciousness and wealth.

The image of qilin is endowed with various meanings, one of which is to attract wealth. In traditional Chinese culture, qilin is closely related to financial luck, and thus people believe that qilin can bring wealth and good luck for them. Plus, for those who have poor career and financial luck, qilin is perceived as a divine beast that can help to change their destiny.

In Japanese culture, qilin is known as "Kirin", and its image is somewhat different from that of the Chinese qilin. The Japanese qilin is depicted as a unicorn, typically with a slender body, antlers, dragon scales, and a cow's tail. Similar to the Chinese qilin, the Japanese one is also considered as a symbol of auspiciousness and divinity, often placed in the shrines and temples for decorations. In Japanese legend, the qilin is a gentle and kind animal that only harms the wicked, and would protect and bless the kind and upright.

The Origin of Qilin

Although qilin plays an important role in Chinese mythology and tradition, its origin is still a mystery. According to "Huai Nan Zi", Maodu (the ancestor of beasts in ancient legends) gave birth to Yinglong (a winged dragon in ancient legends), Yinglong gave birth to Jianma (an exotic animal in ancient legends), and Jianma gave birth to Qilin. This clearly indicates that the ancestor of Qilin was Maodu.

Another theory about the origin of qilin is that the qilin is a divine beast sent from the heavenly realm and is combined with the powers of different animals. According to legend, a long time ago, the Jade Emperor in the heavenly court sent a divine beast to the mortal world to resolve various disasters. This divine beast had magical powers that could dispel plagues, cure diseases, call for wind or rain, and bring a bountiful harvest and later was regarded as the predecessor of the Qilin. With the passage of time, this mythical beast has been endowed with rich cultural meanings, forming the image of the qilin that we are now familiar with.

Legends of Qilin

Juye County of Shandong Province has been known as the birthplace of qilin since ancient times. There are rich and varied legends of qilin in Juye County, and most of them are closely related to Confucius. Legend has it that Yan, the mother of Confucius, was passing by Mount Ni when she was pregnant for ten months, and suddenly had stomach pain and was about to give birth. At this moment, the sky roared, and a unicorn in a colorful auspicious cloud carrying a chubby baby descended from the sky. At the same time, the sky was filled with red light, and the unicorn collided with Yan's arms, and Confucius was born.

According to “Supplementary Notes of the King of Jin”, there was a family in ancient times who, despite having tremendous property, only had daughters and no sons. The head of the family was troubled by this and went around seeking help from immortals and Buddha. One day, a qilin suddenly appeared in the courtyard, and then the wife gave birth to a son. They named their son"qi lin zi" (a prodigy in the world in Chinese) to express thankfulness for the auspiciousness that qilin brought to them.

Overall, these rich legends endow qilin with profound cultural and historical connotations. It not only represents auspiciousness, kindness, and harmony, but also carries people's yearning and pursuit for a better life. Today, legends of qilin is still passed down among people and has become an indispensable part of Chinese culture.

The Implied Meanings of Qilin

The Qilin culture is an important component of traditional Chinese culture, and as a mysterious mythical beast, qilin is endowed with profound cultural connotations. Generally speaking, it has five implied meanings.

The first one is the omen of prosperity. Qilin is regarded as an auspicious item, and its appearance is often perceived as an auspicious omen, indicating the prosperity of the country and the health of the people. Emperors throughout Chinese history all took the appearance of qilin as a sign of prosperity and are convinced that the qilin was a symbol of the country's strong fortune and their successful governance.

The second is to avoid evil spirits. In ancient legends, qilin was the king of all birds and beasts, and was as powerful as phoenix and divine dragon. Therefore, qilin is regarded as the guardian of justice, and the public also firmly believes that the qilin is able to resolve disasters, dispel demons, suppress evil spirits, as well as boost wealth.

The third is to send a son. The Chinese custom of praying for a son is popular throughout the country. Chinese people believe that qilin is a beast with great benevolence as well as righteousness, and is also a symbol of auspiciousness. It is said that a virtuous family would have a noble son by simplyly worshiping qilin, and a noble son often brings the family prosperity as well as many descendants.

The fourth is to represent a noble character. Qilin is endowed with noble qualities, such as kindness, justice, courage, etc. It is regarded as a divine beast that can guide people towards the right path. In ancient mythological stories, qilin was often depicted as the mount of a wise man with noble character.

The fifth is to indicate outstanding talent. In ancient legends, qilin liked people with noble and talented conduct, so the qilin also became a symbol of literati and refined scholars, indicating those with talent and noble character.

As an important component of traditional Chinese culture, the qilin culture has profound cultural connotations and extensive symbolic significance, making it a unique symbol in Chinese culture.

The Difference between Qilin And Pixiu

In the 5000-year history of China, myths and legends are often the most talked about stories, and those powerful spiritual beasts have become the most popular auspicious ornaments in the jade carving market. However, since most people have no intensive studies of mythological ancient books, they often confuse various spiritual beasts in mythological stories, and it is highly common for people to confuse Pixiu with Qilin. So what is the difference between Pixiu and Qilin?

The reason why people often confuse Pixiu with Qilin is that they cannot distinguish their appearance. According to ancient records, Pixiu is a monster with a lion head, dragon body, lin feet, and tiger claws, and some even have horns on their heads. Its overall appearance resembles a lion, and it can also fly. What’s more, due to the gluttonous nature of Pixiu, its biggest feature in appearance is its large mouth. The qilin, on the other hand, is a divine beast with antlers, dragon scales, and oxtail and its body resembles a musk deer. Plus, qilin usually has colorful feathers and scales.

Due to the differences in appearance and identity, Pixiu and Qilin naturally have different implied meanings. Pixiu, as a god of war, has the meaning of warding off evil spirits. Moreover, due to its characteristic of only eating without excreting, and its love for gold and silver, Pixiu also has the meaning of attracting wealth and preserving wealth in folk culture. The Qilin, on the other hand, is an auspicious mythical creature that represents peace and longevity. As the ancient saying goes, "Wherever a Qilin appears, there must be auspiciousness. When a Qilin steps on auspicious clouds, disasters in the human world would all disappear." In addition, since the origin of Qilin is closely related to emperor, so it also means power and wealth.

Where to Place Qilin

Qilin has been regarded as a symbol of auspiciousness since ancient times. Therefore, placing it at home or in the office can bring us good luck and happiness. However, the placement of the qilin is very particular, and a proper placement would help to maximize its effectiveness.

Qilin can be placed in the living room, bedroom, or study room and is best to be placed somewhere between the living room and the door, so that the whole family members could be well protected as soon as they enter the door. At the same time, in feng shui theory, qilin also plays a significant role in sending children, so it can be placed in the bedroom as a mascot praying for a noble son and can also ensure the harmony of marital relationships. When being placed at home, the head of a qilin should face the door or window to absorb the auspicious atmosphere from the outside.

Qilin can also be placed in the office such as on the office desk, on the filing cabinet, or at the entrance of the office. If you are a business manager, you can place the qilin in a prominent place of the meeting room or your office to strengthen the cohesion among employees. Besides, when placing a qilin in the office, its head should also face the door or window, but be careful not to face the door directly in case it would have a nagetive impact on career development.

Precautions for Placing Qilin

1. It is not suitable to place qilin outside the window because qilin is a divine beast and should be respected and placing the qilin outside the window is disrespectful to it.

2. Qilin can not be touched by others casually. If qilin is touched casually by others, it will seriously damage the owner's luck, and also have negative impact on the owner.

3. If qilin is placed together with the statues of Buddha and deities, it should be placed at the very side.

4. It is not suitable to place qilin in the toilet. In feng shui theory, the toilet is considered as a dirty place. Placing a qilin in the toilet would break its auspicious aura. At the same time, the qilin would also bring some unclean and negative energy, which is detrimental to the financial fortune of the family.

5. Qilin is mostly made of wood or ceramics, and prolonged exposure to sunlight would cause it fade or even damage. Therefore, when placing the qilin, it should be avoided from direct sunlight.

6. Qilin should be placed in a dry and well ventilated place. It is easy to damage the appearance and material of the qilin if it being placed in a damp environment, thus reducing its effectiveness in warding off evil and dispelling diseases.

7. Qilin is an auspicious item and should be placed in a quiet and peaceful place. If it is placed in a noisy environment, it can easily damage the aura of the qilin and also affect the harmony of the family.

In short, the placement of qilin should follow certain principles and precautions, otherwise it may run counter to people’s desire. Understanding ways to place the qilin can maximize the effectiveness of this mascot, bringing us good luck and happiness.