tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2371607735808645509.post4760872274409670978..comments2024-03-28T02:15:46.690-06:00Comments on Montana Moments: Chinese AltarEllen Baumlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16947119160440362652noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2371607735808645509.post-44829466682455645762014-11-12T15:08:18.034-07:002014-11-12T15:08:18.034-07:00Interestingly, bats are considered signs or icons ...Interestingly, bats are considered signs or icons of good luck because the ideograph for “fortune” or “good luck” (福) is homophonic (that is, it sounds like) the pronunciation of the character for bat (蝙蝠). There’s even more complicated stuff about how these characters are often written upside down (and bats pictured flying upside down) because then it looks like the character for “arrives.” Thus you get a two-fer in one character, “good luck arrives,” the flying bat making this especially visual. <br /><br />I love the Chinese language for its many-tiered, poetic complexity. On any given hiking trip with my Chinese grad students or colleagues, you could guarantee an argumentative “discussion” anytime I asked the group to tell me what the characters carved into a rock might mean. There is seldom a simple answer. There are often many answers. All correct. <br /><br />Pat EcoRoverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07294159049375690786noreply@blogger.com