Meet the Mystical Pixiu: Guardian Lion of Fortune
Origins and Iconography of the Pixiu
The pixiu (also spelled pixiu or pi-hsieh) is an ancient mythical Chinese creature with the body of a lion but the face of a dragon. Thought to date back over 2,000 years, the pixiu emerged in Chinese mythology as powerful protectors that warded off evil spirits and attracted wealth.
Early descriptions depict pixiu with the head of a lion, face of a dragon, claws of an eagle, and scales all over its body. Typically depicted with a dragon-like mouth, long whiskers and a lion's mane, the pixiu comes in variations of one to nine tails as well. Its iconic image gradually spread from China across East Asia, becoming a widespread symbol of prosperity wherever Chinese cultural influences reached.
Guardian Lion of Fortune
Chinese traditions associate the mystical pixiu exclusively with positive functions of safeguarding treasures and attracting wealth and abundance. Considered equal in power to lions and dragons in Chinese cosmology, the pixiu represented supreme guardian energies.
Ancient folklore tells of a pixiu spitting jewels from its mouth which multiplied into untold riches. This cemented its role as a fierce yet benevolent beast that granted and protected material fortunes. Even the pixiu's fearsome roar alone supposedly cleared away misfortune.
To the Chinese, the ideal pixiu with an open mouth ready to receive wealth symbolized perpetual financial flow. Visualizing or depicting a satisfied pixiu came to represent accumulating prosperity that would last for generations.
Honoring Pixiu For Good Luck
Adorning homes, businesses and temples with pixiu statues quickly became widespread practice for invoking its protective and money-drawing energies according to feng shui principles. Even today in Chinese, Southeast Asian and global diaspora communities, the pixiu remains among the most popular symbols of abundance.
Common places to position pixiu figurines include household and business entrances, above doors and inside buildings facing auspicious charted directions. Pairings with related lucky icons like golden ingots, coins and jewels reinforce pixiu's prosperity-making role. Festive red accents represent the celebratory nature of acquiring wealth through honorable means.
Some seek larger-than-life outdoor garden pixiu for properties, believing their powerful presence guards entire landscapes. Regularly dusting and occasionally replacing offerings leaves, fruits or tea kept the protective pixiu satisfied. Overall, invoking the pixiu through art became a holistic practice for inviting continual wealth and safety.
Selecting an Auspicious Pixiu Item
When choosing pixiu representations for good fortune, attention to authenticity and aesthetic details matters. Whether a mass-produced or handcrafted item, look for ones depicting the pixiu:
- With open mouth poised to receive riches
- Proportionate lion body and dragon facial features
- Often ornamented with pearls, gemstones or gold leaf
- Standing or reclining in a dominant yet tranquil stance
- Carved or painted with refined precision and vibrant colors
Select durable stone or metal over flimsy materials. For moving homes, opt instead for portable talismans honoring the pixiu. By gifting miniature figurines too, one spreads the pixiu's blessings of abundance to loved ones. Overall, fine pixiu tributes become treasured family heirlooms that guard wealth across generations.
