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Creature in Chinese / Japanese...

Buy a Creature calligraphy wall scroll here!

Personalize your custom “Creature” project by clicking the button next to your favorite “Creature” title below...


  1. Crane

  2. Every Creature Has A Domain

  3. Crisis equals Danger plus Opportunity?

  4. Griffin / Gryphon

  5. Kaiju

  6. Kirin / Giraffe / Mythical Creature

  7. Kun

  8. Legendary Turtle

  9. Tengu

10. Unicorn

11. Ox / Bull / Cow

12. Dragon


Crane

Graceful bird of longevity

 hè
 gaku / tsuru
 
Crane Scroll

鶴 is a famous bird of China.

Known in China to be a very spiritual creature, the crane is a symbol of both longevity and the journey of the souls and spirits of ancestors.

Note: 鶴 can mean crane or stork in Japanese.

Every Creature Has A Domain

 hǎi wéi lóng shì jiè yún shì hè jiā xiāng
Every Creature Has A Domain Scroll

海為龍世界雲是鶴家鄉 is a somewhat poetic way to say that everyone and everything has its place in the world.

Every Creature has a Domain The first line (which is the column on the right) says, “The Ocean is the World of the Dragon.” The next column says, “The Clouds are the Domain of the Cranes.”

The image to the right is what this calligraphy can look like in xing-kaishu style by a Master Calligrapher.

Crisis equals Danger plus Opportunity?

 wēi jī
 kiki
Crisis equals Danger plus Opportunity? Scroll

危機 means crisis in Chinese and Japanese.

Separately, the first character here does mean “danger” or “to endanger,” and the second character can mean “opportunity.”

However, I want to debunk a myth that was propagated by some westerners who did not have a clear understanding of Asian languages...

While often, Chinese/Japanese/Korean compound words (words of two or more characters) are the sum of their parts, this is not always the case. The compound is often understood with a completely different meaning than the two characters individually.

Many have said that the Chinese/Japanese/Korean word for Crisis is made up of the characters for “danger” and “opportunity.” 危機 is true when phrased this way.
However, it's not absolutely correct to say that “danger + opportunity = crisis” in Asian cultures.

English example:
If I tell you that...
Bovine creature + Guy behind the plate in baseball = Locomotive train protection cowcatcher
...you would think I was mad. But consider that “cow + catcher = cowcatcher,” which is the device that used to be found on steam engines to protect them if they hit an animal on the tracks. When we hear the word “cowcatcher,” we don't separate the words into their individual meanings (necessarily).
The same is true with the word for crisis in Chinese/Japanese/Korean. While you can separate the characters, few Asian people would automatically do so in their minds.

The final answer:
It is a half-truth to say, “danger plus opportunity equals crisis” in Chinese/Japanese/Korean. Use this statement and concept with caution.

Also, the second character can mean “secret” or “machine,” depending on context so I guess you have to say “a dangerous machine = crisis” or “danger + a secret = crisis.” Both of these are only slightly more ridiculous than the first premise.

PS: 危機 is probably not a great word for a scroll unless you have a special use for it.

Griffin / Gryphon

 yīng tóu shī
Griffin / Gryphon Scroll

鷹頭獅 is the Chinese title for a Griffin.

Griffin This refers to the legendary creature with the head, talons, and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion. Sometimes also spelled Gryphon or Griffon. From the Greek γρύφων or γρύπων, or Latin Gryphus.

This Chinese title, 鷹頭獅, literally means “Eagle Head Lion.”

 kaijuu
Kaiju Scroll

怪獣 is a Japanese word for monster or “strange creature.”

This usually refers to a genre of tokusatsu films. These films feature monsters that often attack Tokyo or fight with other monsters. The most internationally famous of these is the Godzilla franchise of movies.

Kirin / Giraffe / Mythical Creature

 qí lǐn
 keilun
 kirin
Kirin / Giraffe / Mythical Creature Scroll

麒麟 is the title of a mythical beast of Asia.

The animal is thought to be related to the giraffe, and in some ways, it is a giraffe. However, it is often depicted with the horns of a dragon or deer and sometimes with the body like a horse, but many variations exist.

In Japanese, it is pronounced “Kirin” as in “Kirin Ichiban” beer.

Kirin - Mythical Beast and Great Japanese Beer!
Notes:

1. This is sometimes spelled as “kylin.”

2. In Japanese, this is the only Kanji word for giraffe. Therefore in Japan, this word needs context to know whether you are talking about the mythical creature or the long-necked giraffe of Africa.

3. Apparently, this was the first word used for regular giraffes in China (some were brought from Africa to China during the Ming Dynasty - probably around the year 1400). Though the mythical creature may have existed before, the name “qilin” was given to the “new giraffe.” This is because, more than 600 years ago, giraffes somewhat matched the mythical creature's description when Chinese people saw them for the first time. Later, to avoid such an ambiguous title, a three-character word was devised to mean a “giraffe of Africa.” The characters for “qilin” shown here are only for the mythological version in modern Chinese.

4. More information about the qilin / kirin from Wikipedia.

5. This creature is sometimes translated as the “Chinese Unicorn,” although it is generally portrayed with two horns. I think this is done more for the fantasy aspect of the unicorn and because most westerners don't know what a qilin or kirin is (this avoids a long explanation by the translator).

6. In Korean, this can mean kirin or simply giraffe (usually, the mythological creature is what they would think of when seeing these characters alone on a wall scroll).

Kun

Sea Creature

 kūn
 kon
 
Kun Scroll

A 鲲 (Kun) is a famous sea monster, often associated or used interchangeably with a 鵬 (Peng).

鯤 is comparable to Leviathan or Jonah's whale.

In Chinese mythology, the Kun is a giant fish said to be able to turn into a bird.

鯤 and the mythological creature is also known in Japanese and Korean. However, in some contexts, this character can refer to fry (fish babies).

Legendary Turtle

 áo
 
Legendary Turtle Scroll

鼇 means “legendary turtle” in Chinese. 鼇 is a great mythological turtle that travels the seas. The creature is comparable to the dragon of China, however, it so happens that dragons became a bit more famous as history progressed. In modern Chinese, this character can just refer to a large sea turtle.

Note: 鼇 can be pronounced in Korean but this is a very rare Korean Hanja form - it hasn't been used in Korea for at least a few hundred years (even before they switched to Hangul characters).

 tiān gǒu
 ten gu
Tengu Scroll

天狗 is the Japanese title for Tengu, which roughly translates as “heavenly dog.”

Tengu is a type of legendary creature found in Japanese folk religion and is also considered a type of Shinto god (kami) or yōkai (supernatural being).

The origin is Chinese, though this term is seldom used in Chinese anymore. It was a dog-like Chinese demon (Tiangou)

Although the title contains the word “dog,” the tengu are often depicted with human and bird-like characteristics. Sometimes they have large noses or beaks like birds.

 dú jiǎo shòu
Unicorn Scroll

獨角獸 is the Chinese name for the western unicorn (a horse with a spiral horn emerging from the head).

獨角獸 is an unusual title for a Chinese wall scroll, but it's OK if you really love unicorns.

Chinese have their own ancient unicorn-like creature called a “qilin” (or kirin in Japanese).

 ikkakujuu
Unicorn Scroll

一角獣 is the Japanese name for the western unicorn (a horse with a spiral horn emerging from the head). This can also refer to a narwhal, depending on context.

一角獣 is an unusual title for a Japanese wall scroll but it's OK if you really love unicorns.

Japanese have their own ancient unicorn-like creature called a “kirin” (or qilin in the original Chinese).

Ox / Bull / Cow

Year of the Ox / Bull - Zodiac Sign

 niú
 ushi
 
Ox  /  Bull / Cow Scroll

牛 is the character for bull, cow, ox, or bovine creature in Chinese, old Korean, and Japanese.

If you were born in the year of the ox/bull/cow, you . . .

Are dedicated to your work.
Are discrete, careful and conscientious.
Value work and family.

Note that in this Chinese character, there is no distinction between bull and cow. All bovine creatures fit into the definition of this character. To distinguish between male and female, another sex-designating character is added in front of this character. Therefore, in China, the energy drink “Red Bull” (Hong Niu) is often translated in the minds of Chinese people as “Red Cow” or even “Red Ox.”


See also our Chinese Zodiac page.

Dragon

Year of the Dragon / Zodiac Sign

 lóng
 ryuu / tatsu
Dragon Scroll

龍 is the character for dragon in Chinese, old Korean Hanja, and Japanese Kanji.

The dragon is a creature of myth and legend that dominates Chinese, Japanese, and even European folklore. In China, the dragon is the symbol of the Emperor, strength, and power, and the Chinese dragon is known as the god of water.

From the Chinese Zodiac, if you were born in the year of the Dragon, you . . .

Have a strong body and spirit.
Are full of energy.
Have vast goals.
Have a deep level of self-awareness.
Will do whatever you can to “save face.”


See also our Chinese Zodiac or Dragon Calligraphy pages.




This in-stock artwork might be what you are looking for, and ships right away...

Gallery Price: $65.00

Your Price: $28.88


These search terms might be related to Creature:

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Wise Woman

Woman

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Woman of Strong Character / Woman Hero

Woman’s Association

The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...

Title CharactersRomaji (Romanized Japanese)Various forms of Romanized Chinese
Crane
gaku / tsuruhè / he4 / heho
Every Creature Has A Domain海為龍世界雲是鶴家鄉
海为龙世界云是鹤家乡
hǎi wéi lóng shì jiè yún shì hè jiā xiāng
hai3 wei2 long2 shi4 jie4 yun2 shi4 he4 jia1 xiang1
hai wei long shi jie yun shi he jia xiang
hai wei lung shih chieh yün shih ho chia hsiang
Crisis equals Danger plus Opportunity?危機
危机
kikiwēi jī / wei1 ji1 / wei ji / weijiwei chi / weichi
Griffin
Gryphon
鷹頭獅
鹰头狮
yīng tóu shī
ying1 tou2 shi1
ying tou shi
yingtoushi
ying t`ou shih
yingtoushih
ying tou shih
Kaiju怪獣kaijuu / kaiju
Kirin
Giraffe
Mythical Creature
麒麟kirinqí lǐn / qi2 lin3 / qi lin / qilinch`i lin / chilin / chi lin
Kun
konkūn / kun1 / kunk`un / kun
Legendary Turtleáo / ao2 / ao
Tengu天狗ten gu / tengutiān gǒu / tian1 gou3 / tian gou / tiangout`ien kou / tienkou / tien kou
Unicorn獨角獸
独角兽
dú jiǎo shòu
du2 jiao3 shou4
du jiao shou
dujiaoshou
tu chiao shou
tuchiaoshou
Unicorn一角獣ikkakujuu / ikakuju
Ox
Bull
Cow
ushiniú / niu2 / niu
Dragon
ryuu / tatsu
ryu / tatsu
lóng / long2 / longlung
In some entries above you will see that characters have different versions above and below a line.
In these cases, the characters above the line are Traditional Chinese, while the ones below are Simplified Chinese.


Dictionary

Lookup Creature in my Japanese & Chinese Dictionary


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All of our calligraphy wall scrolls are handmade.

When the calligrapher finishes creating your artwork, it is taken to my art mounting workshop in Beijing where a wall scroll is made by hand from a combination of silk, rice paper, and wood.
After we create your wall scroll, it takes at least two weeks for air mail delivery from Beijing to you.

Allow a few weeks for delivery. Rush service speeds it up by a week or two for $10!

When you select your calligraphy, you'll be taken to another page where you can choose various custom options.


A nice Chinese calligraphy wall scroll

The wall scroll that Sandy is holding in this picture is a "large size"
single-character wall scroll.
We also offer custom wall scrolls in small, medium, and an even-larger jumbo size.

A professional Chinese Calligrapher

Professional calligraphers are getting to be hard to find these days.
Instead of drawing characters by hand, the new generation in China merely type roman letters into their computer keyboards and pick the character that they want from a list that pops up.

There is some fear that true Chinese calligraphy may become a lost art in the coming years. Many art institutes in China are now promoting calligraphy programs in hopes of keeping this unique form of art alive.

Trying to learn Chinese calligrapher - a futile effort

Even with the teachings of a top-ranked calligrapher in China, my calligraphy will never be good enough to sell. I will leave that to the experts.

A high-ranked Chinese master calligrapher that I met in Zhongwei

The same calligrapher who gave me those lessons also attracted a crowd of thousands and a TV crew as he created characters over 6-feet high. He happens to be ranked as one of the top 100 calligraphers in all of China. He is also one of very few that would actually attempt such a feat.


Check out my lists of Japanese Kanji Calligraphy Wall Scrolls and Old Korean Hanja Calligraphy Wall Scrolls.

Some people may refer to this entry as Creature Kanji, Creature Characters, Creature in Mandarin Chinese, Creature Characters, Creature in Chinese Writing, Creature in Japanese Writing, Creature in Asian Writing, Creature Ideograms, Chinese Creature symbols, Creature Hieroglyphics, Creature Glyphs, Creature in Chinese Letters, Creature Hanzi, Creature in Japanese Kanji, Creature Pictograms, Creature in the Chinese Written-Language, or Creature in the Japanese Written-Language.

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