#Mandarin Palace

[nemainofthewater]

Best Character surnamed: Ren

Come and vote for the best characters with the same surname!*

What does best mean? It's up to you! Whether you love them, are intrigued by their characters, love to hate them, or they're your '2 second blorbos whose personality you made up wholesale', these are all reasons for you to vote for your favs!

*note, the surnames are not exactly the same in all the cases, as often there will be a different character. I am, however, grouping them all together otherwise things got more complicated.

Propaganda is very welcome! If I’ve forgotten anyone, let me know in the notes.

This is part of a larger series of ‘best character with X surname’ polls’. The overview with ongoing polls, winners, and future polls can be found here

[travelella]

Mandarin Oriental Palace, Lucerne, Switzerland

Sergio Zhukov

[i-think-pictures]

[historiaxvanserra]

In Hades I Am With You | Coming Soon

Pairing: Rhys x HewnCIty!Reader

Summary: After the death of his High Lady and following a catastrophic war with a deathless God, Rhysand is urged by the inner circle to take a lover from Hewn City to further unite the warring factions in his own court. Loathed to take a mistress, Rhysand strikes a deal with the daughter of one of his death bringers. Her freedom in exchange for companionship and the allusion of intimacy. But how long can Rhysand run away from the painful truth that fate has big plans for him.

The sound of the high-arching orchestral symphony is cacophonous in the Midsummer air and the voices of the courtiers making merry echoes loudly in your ears. From where you stand near the outskirts of the aching chasm of the Moonstone Palace's grand ballroom you can see the dancing courtiers, like a myriad of technicolor stars that glitter against the black, and the lovers as they steal kisses in the night when the music swells to its heights. Lords and Ladies entangled in the shadowed opal light of the dark palace.

The chandelier hangs above the marble floor like a great quartz stalactite; almost luminescent as it casts the room in an ethereal, silvery hue.

One solitary figure stands out amongst the crowd of courtiers, his skin is of a similar dark hue to the morose Illyrian's that flank the dias, though more golden than carob. Something about the raw power he exhibits; the way his corded arms fold over the broad expanse of his chest, or the sharp cut of his jaw, the aquiline slope of his nose, the clear violet of his gaze. 

His eyes meet yours through the haze of insense smoke and the dancing tide of courtiers and memory comes back to you slowly, and then all at once. With the swiftness of the tide. The distant dreams formed in the folly of youth; some depraved girlhood fantasy as you regard the masked man once more. Only this time you note the dark lines inked into his forearms, and the tell-tale shade of blue-black hair that curls around fine, pointed ears. You would know him by scent alone; jasmine and mandarin, undercut with something inherently masculine. Bergamot and woody-bourbon. 

Your High Lord.

He looks older than you remember him. His face is cast in shadows but even in the low light you can see that the once perfect planes of his face have faint lines etched into them, a testament to his many years ruling The Night Court. He’s softer than you remember but underneath the softness there’s a lingering sense of dark, raw power. You swear its so palpable that you can taste it on the air as he smiles wickedly in your direction. 

Your High Lord, you chastise yourself.

All those years trying to outrun girlhood fantasies and yet, here you are, in the same place, entertaining the same notions that The High Lord might look your way. 

He wears maturity well you think, he carries this world-weary aura paired with his signature dark magnetism that has your heart fluttering wildly in your chest as the dancing sea parts for him as he goes. 

Your thunderous heart almost stops when those violet eyes burn bright against the dark and they’re set on you. The High Lord’s eyes glint in the silver moonglow and something akin to a smirk graces his perfect, parted lips and it’s then you realize he’s approaching you. A slow, stalk as he paces towards you, with all the feline grace of a predator.

And tonight, you are his prey. 

[glorious-sunset]

Character Names in LBFAD – Meaning and Significance

What’s in a name? For the characters of LBFAD (Love Between Fairy and Devil), a whole lot of hidden meanings! These are not apparent to English viewers. Here are my translations and interpretations of these meanings.

DongFang Qing Cang - 东方青苍: “East, Cyan, Dark blue”

The surname “DongFang” means East, the direction of the rising sun. Both Dongfang Qingcang’s (DFQC) personal terrace at Silent Moon Palace and the replica Arbiter Hall he built for Xiao Lanhua (XLH) face East, and capture the most beautiful sunrises. DFQC (and previous generations of DongFangs) are well-respected by their people and enjoy the best locations and residences in Cangyan Sea.

The “Cang” in DFQC was named for his realm, “Cang” Yan Sea, as he was expected to be its leader and follow the path set for him by his father, and Lady Yan before him. Lady Yan chose to rid herself of emotions in order to wield Hellfire, and DFQC’s father forced the same decision onto him. The hanzi (mandarin character) for “Cang” in DFQC and Cangyan Sea means dark blue, and the darkness of this colour represents the darkness of the path he was expected to follow.

But “Cang” is not the only colour in DFQC’s name! The “Qing” in his name means lighter shades of blue/green, or cyan. And despite his prescribed mission to emotionlessly conquer the three realms, DFQC has many lighter, more peaceful shades to his character that reveal themselves as the series progresses. He forms a friendship and brotherhood with his enemy Changheng, who shares with him a love of playing music, art and cuju! And he rises above the cruel dictator of Shuiyuntian who almost annihilated his people, by sending his people to aid Shuiyuntian.

(The aurora borealis in Cangyan Sea is also cyan and dark blue :D DFQC might have been named for this as well as for Cangyan Sea!)

Xiao Lan Hua - 小兰花: “Little Orchid Flower”

We are first introduced to our female lead as “Xiao Lanhua”, which is not a name, but a description of what she believes her true form to be, a little orchid flower. But this was a disguise given to her by her parents and upheld by Siming. Her real name is Xiyun.

Xi Yun - 息芸: “Every breath”

The character for “Xi” in XLH’s true name is the same as the “Xi” in her realm, “Xishan”, and means breath (of life). Just like DFQC, she is named for her realm, as she was the intended leader of Xishan as its Goddess. The Xilan tribe of Xishan had powerful healing magics, and hers is the most powerful of all, with the ability to resurrect the dead with her blood, thus providing the breath of life. She uses this to great effect, resurrecting DFQC in ep. 26, everyone who died on the battlefield in ep. 31, and freeing the 100,000 sealed soldiers of the Moon Tribe.

The “Yun” in her name meaning every, combined with “Xi” can be interpreted as “every breath”. Sadly, XLH’s every breath is for one purpose and brings her closer to her one destiny. She is fated to sacrifice herself to save the three realms from Taisui. If this had happened, then like Lady Chidi before her, her sacrifice would soon have been forgotten.

Chi Di - 赤地: “Red/Barren Earth”

The “Chi” in Lady Chidi’s name means red, and paired with “Di” meaning earth, can also mean barren earth. She is the only official in Shuiyuntian seen wearing Red, as even the current God of War, Changheng, conforms to the same white and pale blue robes that other officials wear. Chidi is therefore a standout who asserts her individuality and does not conform to expectations. Her way of thinking outside the box, led to DFQC and his 100,000 Moon Tribe soldiers being completely blindsided by her sacrifice 30,000 years ago. It also led to her breaking heaven’s laws to resurrect Ronghao, to her later detriment.

Chidi wields powerful earth magics, as represented by her name. These are so powerful that she is able to seal the 100,000 soldiers of the Moon Tribe within the barren earth of Xuanxu realm. Her mighty Shuofeng sword is also swallowed by the barren earth and her magic cannot be reversed without her primordial spirit.

Xun Feng - 巽风: “Obedient wind”

The “Xun” in Xunfeng means to obey, and the “Feng” means wind. His name can be interpreted as either “obedient to the wind” or an “obedient wind”. Like the wind, Xunfeng lacks substance, confidence and ability, and is disrespected by his people during DFQC’s imprisonment. Many contenders try to steal his position as Moon Supreme, and he almost dies on the Wind Plain until DFQC arrives to save him.

But Xunfeng cares fiercely for his people. In his attempt to protect them, he collaborates with Ronghao without knowing his identity or motivations. He is thus “obedient to the wind” where Ronghao is an unknown and unseen entity, like the wind. Xunfeng is unable to discern that Ronghao is keeping Cangyan Sea in a constant state of civil unrest and tormenting the souls of deceased Moon Tribe members until much later, with DFQC’s help!

Shang Que - 觞阙: “Watchtower”

“Que” meaning watchtower is an apt description for DFQC’s lieutenant and right-hand man. Shangque has many talents suiting him to this role! These include his ability to be stealthy, gather information discreetly, undertake covert missions successfully, act as a powerful defensive force, and a healing one due to his skill with Chinese medicine. Like a watchtower, he kept watch for 30,000 years during DFQC’s absence on all events occurring within the three realms. His loyalty and love for DFQC, whom he views as a brother and whose return he awaited for 30,000 years, are astounding!

 “Shang” paired with “Que” can mean lacking sustenance. This is the state Shangque was in when orphaned as a young boy, and many tried to take advantage of him and his dragon body. If not for DFQC saving him, he would likely have perished from hunger or been murdered :(

Jie Li - 结黎: “Dark knot”

Jieli suffers from much internal torment which is like a dark knot inside her. From the moment she was born, she never knew or received love, and was raised by people who continually exploited her, physically harming her and threatening her life. That she is even capable of loving and caring for others is a miracle! Unlike Shangque, nobody like DFQC ever stepped in to save her and care for her.

Jieli cares deeply for both XLH and Shangque. Her life under threat, she makes some bad choices such as spilling a drop of Chidi’s blood onto the Bone Orchid. This is one of many dark and knotty situations she encounters. Although she soon decides she would rather die than hurt XLH, Dieyi poisons Shangque to force her obedience.

Yun Zhong - 云中: “Among the clouds”

Yunzhong literally lives among the clouds, but his head is also in the clouds. He is very narrow-minded and cannot think outside the box. When XLH does not fit within the eight-class system of Shuiyuntian, he immediately decides she is Moon Tribe (even before the Bone Orchid protects her) without considering other possibilities. He is so strict with Changheng that he would rather execute the most powerful asset to Shuiyuntian (and his brother!!) than tolerate the slightest disobedience! Throughout the series, he is intent on exterminating the Moon Tribe and almost does in ep. 31 on completely false pretences.

Chang Heng - 长珩: “Steadfast bird”

Like the golden bird brooches that the celestials wear to represent their tribe, Changheng is a model citizen of Shuiyuntian. He is steadfast and loyal to his duties and puts these above his personal desires. When trying to rescue XLH from Cangyan Sea in ep. 13, he is honest with her that he cannot break the rules of Shuiyuntian, and only hopes that Yunzhong will be reasonable and lenient towards her! Changheng is far more steadfast and loyal than the average celestial. He is the only one apart from Ronghao to visit Chidi’s grave on her death anniversary, honours his brotherhood with DFQC after returning to the immortal world, and after learning Ronghao’s secret identity, listens to his side of the story.

Dan Yin - 丹音: “Crimson tidings”

Twice, Danyin is the bearer of important news, relaying her visions from the Tianji mirror to the sacrifice of her own desires. First, she tells a wounded and imprisoned Changheng about his wedding to XLH in the mortal realm, causing him to start a mortal tribulation. Then, she tells Yunzhong and the High Council about XLH’s true identity as the Goddess, saving Changheng from execution and leading to his wedding with XLH.

Rong Hao - 容昊: “Vastly compromising”

Ronghao has “one tiny earthly desire”, that his beloved master can live. What he is prepared to do to achieve this includes burning the souls of dead celestials and Moon tribe, massacring the entire Xilan population including their women and children, forcing his master to endure 30,000 years of cruel mortal tribulations and using evil qi to keep her alive. His willingness to vastly compromise both himself and her leaves Lady Chidi aghast.

Die Yi - 蝶衣: “Butterfly costume”

Dieyi is a shape-shifter and the different forms she takes, butterfly or woman, are her costumes, which help her to be sneaky and nefarious.

Xie Wanqing - 谢惋卿: “Withering sigh”

Having forgotten her life as Lady Chidi, Xie Wanqing feels incomplete without knowing why, expressed by her sad sighs. Chidi is forced to endure countless mortal tribulations just like this one and die (wither) repeatedly. In each of these lives she is condemned to be murdered by the one she loves!

Xiao Run - 萧润: “Mournful wealth”

Both Xiao Run and his true self as Changheng come from positions of wealth and noble status. But both of them mourn the loss of freedom that comes from this – although Xiao Run is more of a carefree rebel! :D

Si Ming - 司命: “Arbiter of fate”

Using the power of her position as Arbiter of Fate, Siming has repeatedly defied heaven’s laws and changed fate! She resurrects Ronghao as an immortal, creating a new destiny leaf for him. She released the convicted dragon Chang Yuan and married him. And she instructs DFQC on how to also defy nature’s laws and change destiny! :D

Chang Yuan - 长渊 “Steadfast abyss”

He is the deep abyss that Siming falls into, as in choosing him, she accepts the fate of being imprisoned with him in the Ruins of Myriad Heavens for the rest of eternity. But at least he is steadfastly loyal to her.

Tai Sui - 太岁: “Very Ancient”

This most ancient of tricksters could not be defeated by numerous generations of Goddesses, who merely sealed him beneath Xishan. Over his very long life spanning hundreds of millenia, he has learned to tell whatever lies are needed to manipulate others and ensure his survival.

Here is a link to my article: Location Names in LBFAD – Meaning and Significance

All of my LBFAD articles can be viewed with the tag #lbfad reflections (hyperlinked) and the table of contents to these is here.

[lalathemediterraneanmermaid]

What do ikeprince suitors smell like? Pt. 1

Have you ever wondered how our pookies would smell or what perfumes woulds they wear if they were real? Because I do, and it almost keeps me awake at night. But don't worry, I'm here to satisfy your curiosity. I've assigned each IkePri suitor scents and perfumes based on information from the routes and, of course, mainly on the vibes they give me.

Sariel Noir

The Palace Devil definitely wears a complex yet sophisticated perfume, with a fresh and spicy top note and a warm, woody base.

Notes: mint, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, vetiver and tonka beans.

Perfumes he might like:

Five O'Clock Au Gingembre - Serge Lutens - His favourite

Spicebomb - Viktor & Rolf

Noir Extreme - Tom Ford

(He also has the Miss Dior perfume, courtesy of Clavis, but he keeps it because he secretly loves his troublemaker lil baby, but ssshhh.)

Rio Ortiz

The Puppy Butler uses a vibrant and cheerful perfume with fresh floral vibes and a sweet warm base.

Notes: mandarin, sweet lemon, neroli, orange flower, peach and amber.

Perfumes he might like:

Light Blue Intense - Dolce & Gabbana

Orange blossom - Jo Malone London - His favourite

Versace Pour Homme - Versace

Keith Howell

The Gentle Stag goes for something more fresh and citrusy with a heavy heart of herbal spices and aromatic herbs on top of a woody base.

Notes: bergamot, yuzu, basil, clove leaf, vetiver and cedarwood.

Perfumes he might like:

Neroli Portofino - Tom Ford

Bleu de Chanel Eau de Parfum - Chanel

Colonia Club - Acqua di Parma - His favourite

Emerald Thyme - Jo Malone

Forest Lungs - The Nue Co.

Silvio Ricci

Our Haughty Jingler Jangler is definitely tied to the ocean (and alcohol). I feel like he would go for something fresh and spiced with a sophisticated warm base. Also, he's a bougie boy, so he has a lot of perfumes. He doesn't have a favourite perfume, because he loves the layering technique, he is unique and doesn't want anyone smelling as good as him, period.

Notes: Ron, mandarin, bergamot, mint, nutmeg, cardamom, amber, musk, ambrette seed, sea salt and sea moss.

Perfumes he might like:

Bvlgari Man Extreme - Bvlgari

Allure Homme Èdition Blanche - Chanel

Wood Sage & Sea Salt - Jo Malone London

Herbal Aquatica - Montale

Fougeres Marines - Montale

Virgin Island Water - Creed

Un Jardin en Méditerranée - Hermès

Seahorse - Zoologist Perfumes

Gilber Von Obsidian

This pookie The conqueror beast smells like the blood and fear from his enemies, just kidding. He probably likes winter fresh like scents with some herbal and floral notes on top of a woody base. Something that dries out warm and kind of sweet.

Notes: Sweet basil, fennel, neroli, winter daphne, blacktea, rum, amber and vanilla.

Perfumes he might like:

Noir Extreme - Tom Ford (He probably stole it from Sariel while visiting his boyfriend bff Chevi)

Terre d'Hermès - Hermès

Viking - Creed - His favourite

Silver Mountain Water - Creed

Kagari Amagase

We still don't know much about this dorayaki lover kitty (Doraemon is that you?) so this is just based on assumptions. We know he is competitive, he seems elegant and sophisticated at first sight and has stolen the hearts of the fandom with those feline eyes. So I feel like he goes for citrusy and fresh scents, with a bit of spice an sweetnes on top of a warm and sensual base.

Notes: Bergamot, mandarin, ginger, cherry blossom, white floral, ylang-ylang, cinnamon, sandalwood, amber and musk.

Perfumes he might like:

Gabrielle - Chanel

Premier Figuier - L’Artisan Parfumeur

Zen for Men - Shiseido - His favourite

Especially Escada - Escada

Azel Radwan

We also don't know much about Tanzanite's God. But we know that he is a God, and ethereal, and beautiful, an slay, and a God, and mysterious, and a God, maybe broke (but we still love him), and he is a God. We can't forget that he is a God, 'cause he is a God, just in case you didn't know he is a God. He definitely smells divine, aromatic and warm, maybe kind of spicy with white florals. He gives me vibes that he has a huge collection of arabian perfumes, 'cause he a sassy.

Notes: ylang-ylang, lotus flower, bergamot, jasmine, violet, frankincense, amber, oud, musk, tea, tonka beans and vanilla.

Perfumes he might like:

Royal Oud - Creed

Oud Wood - Tom Ford

Interlude Man - Amouage - His favourite

Reflection Man - Amouage

Royal princess Oud - Creed

Mukhallat - Montale

Borneo 1834 - Serge Lutens

Matthias Asbrink

Again, we still don't know much about him, but we do know that our cold boy is a firm and strict protector of law and justice. I don't know about you, but I feel like he smells like a breath in a snowy mountain at midwinter, refreshing, almost freezing. But he is elegant, discreet and sophisticated. He might seem cold but I'm sure he is warm and cozy on the inside (and a little freak iykyk). If I had to describe his scent vibe in a sentence it would probably be "like drinking a hot chocolate in front of a fireplace after a morning in the middle of the snowy mountains of Northern Europe."

Notes: Snow, cypress, honeysuckle, cardamom, bergamot, iris, lavender, clove, vetiver, cedarwood, leather, cinnamon and chocolate.

Perfumes he might like:

Homme Intense - Dior

Aventus - Creed

Silver Mountain Water - Creed - One of his favourites

Black Orchid - Tom Ford

Chocolate Greedy - Montale

Man In Black - Bvlgari

Glacial Essence - Bvlgari

Gentleman - Givenchy - One of his favourites

Snowy Owl - Zoologist Perfumes - Another favourite because you gifted it to him. You thought it was cute that the cold man from the north that has an owl as his crest deserved a perfume cutely named "Snowy Owl".

Penguin - Zoologist Perfumes

And here it ends part 1 of "What do ikeprince suitors smell like?". Stay tuned for part 2 with our iconic princes of Rhodolite my dearies. Love you all!!!!

[aimeedaisies]

The Princess Royal’s Official Engagements in October 2024

01/10 As Court Member of the Fishmongers’ Company, visited a Food Technology Class at Bingley Grammar School. 🐟🏫

As President of the UK Fashion and Textile Association, visited SIL Group’s Fibre Processing Mill at Ladywell Mills in Bradford. 🧵🧣

Visited Viking Arms Limited in Harrogate. ⚔️🏹🗡️

02/10 Visited Blackburn Meadows Bio-Mass Power Plant in Tinsley, Sheffield. 🍃🔋

Visited Sheffield Forgemasters. 🔥⚒️

Visited Loadhog at the Hog Works. 🚛🚚

Opened the University of Sheffield’s Gene Therapy Innovation and Manufacturing Centre. 🧬

03/10 As President of Carers Trust, attended the Short Breaks Wales Conference at Sophia Gardens Cricket Ground in Cardiff. 🦽🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

As Colonel of The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons), attended the Annual Dinner at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Hotel in Knightsbridge, London. 💂🍽️

04/10 As Vice Patron of the British Horse Society attended the Changing Lives Through Horses Forum at Saddlers' Hall in London. 🐎

08/10 As President of the Royal Yachting Association, opened Warsash Sailing Club’s renovated Clubhouse. ⛵️🍾

As Patron of Catch22, visited the Orion Centre in Havant, Hampshire. 🫂

Sir Tim represented Princess Anne at the Memorial Service for Mrs Julia Rausing (Philanthropist) which was held in St James’s Church in London. ⛪️

09/10 Attended the Annual National Service for Seafarers in St. Paul's Cathedral. ⛪️⚓️

10/10 As Patron of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, attended the Annual Scientific Conference at the Glasshouse International Centre for Music in Gateshead. 💊

As Patron of the Butler Trust, visited North Tyneside Youth Justice System in North Shields. 🔗

Opened a renovated manufacturing facility in North Shields. 🏢

11/10 As Admiral of the Sea Cadet Corps, Marine Society and Sea Cadets, opened Midlands Boat Station in Birmingham. 🫡⛵️

As Chancellor of Harper Adams University, opened the Digital Learning Hub at the Quad in Telford. 🖥️💻🎮

As Patron of YSS Limited, visited the Criminal Justice Service at the Shropshire Golf Centre in Telford. 👩‍⚖️

14/10 As Guardian of Give Them A Sporting Chance and the Chaffinch Trust, held Management Board and Team Meetings at Gatcombe Park. 💼

15/10 With Sir Tim as Royal Patron of the Motor Neurone Disease Association, attended the “Countdown to Cure” Reception at the Royal College of Nursing in London. 💊

With Sir Tim As Patron of the Remembrance Trust, attended a Dinner at the Beefsteak Club in London. 🌹

16/10 As Royal Patron of the Security Institute, attended the Annual Conference at the Royal Society of Medicine. 🚨🔒

As Master of the Corporation of Trinity House, attended a Civic Luncheon at Trinity House. 🍽️

As Royal Patron of WISE, attended the Annual Conference at IET London: Savoy Place. 🧩

17/10 As Patron of the Cathedral Church of Saint German Peel Development Appeal attended a Thanksgiving Service in St German’s Cathedral, Peel, Isle of Man. 🇮🇲⛪️

Visited the Manx National Heritage “All at Sea” Exhibition at the House of Manannan in Peel, Isle of Man. 🇮🇲 🌊

As Grand Master of the Royal Victorian Order, attended Evensong and a Reception at The King’s Chapel of the Savoy in London. ⛪️🍾

As President of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, attended a Reception to mark the 250th Anniversary of RSA House. 🎂

Unofficial Sir Tim, as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Science Museum Group, attended the launch of the Manchester Science Festival at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester. 🧪🧬🔭

18/10 On behalf of The King, held an Investiture at Buckingham Palace. 🎖️

Attended a performance by the Spanish Riding School of Vienna at OVO Arena in Wembley. ��🇹🇪🇸🐎

19/10 With Sir Tim Attended British Champions Day at Ascot Racecourse. 🏆🐎

22/10 As Master of the Corporation of Trinity House, chaired the Quarterly Meeting of the Court and attended a Luncheon at Trinity House. 💼

As Patron of UK Coaching, held a Reception at Buckingham Palace to celebrate Olympic and Paralympic Coaching. 🇬🇧🏅

23/10 Attended a Bicentenary Commemorative Service to recognise the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh. 🚒🧯👨‍🚒

As Royal Patron of Leuchie Forever Fund, held a Benefactors’ Dinner at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. 🍽️

24/10 Re-opened the Rowan Glen Factory at Palnure, near Newton Stewart. 🍶

As Patron of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, opened the new wing at West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven. 🏥

With Sir Tim As Patron of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity, attended the Trafalgar Night Dinner at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich. ⚓️🫡🍽️

25/10 Opened the British Standards Institution International Electrotechnical Commission Annual Meeting at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🔋

28/10 Attended the Prison Advice and Care Trust’s 125th Anniversary National Volunteer Awards at St John’s Church in London. 🏆

29/10 On behalf of The King, held morning and afternoon investitures at Windsor Castle.🎖️

31/10 Visited the Robotic Surgery Unit at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton. 🤖🏥

Attended a Reception for the Pride of Somerset Youth Awards winners at Bridgwater and Taunton College. 🏆

Was installed as Chancellor of Health Sciences University before launching the University in Bournemouth. 🎓

As Patron of Save the Children UK, attended the Autumn in the City Dinner at the Savoy in London. 🍽️

Total official engagements for Anne in September: 58

2024 total so far: 371

Total official engagements accompanied/represented by Tim in September: 5

2024 total so far: 91

FYl - due to certain royal family members being off ill/in recovery I won't be posting everyone's engagement counts out of respect, I am continuing to count them and release the totals at the end of the year.

[stirringwinds]

can’t stop thinking about the thought of Yao and Kiku at Versailles in 1919 after WWI and the Hall of Mirrors and the symbolism of it all 😔The sheer resentment on Yao’s part over the Japanese territorial claim to Shandong in the Versailles Treaty, the superiority-inferiority complex radiated by Kiku, undeniably triumphant over Yao but very keenly aware that the Western powers do not regard him a real equal all the same. I think what gets me is how I see them: the thought of these two old nations who have such a long history together having a furious face off—with their once long hair both cropped short in the western style, both in western clothing instead of the hanfu or changshan or kimono they’ve worn for centuries, in the opulent surroundings of the Palace of Versailles—one of the grandest examples of Western architecture. And probably arguing in English, not Mandarin Chinese or Japanese, because neither will ever countenance using the other’s language at this fraught point in history. Yao will never recognise Kiku’s power, and Kiku will never deign to lose face by speaking the language of his mentor (and rival) who has lost all his prestige and thus, any respect he might’ve once deserved.

Mirrors too are an old element with meaning in both Chinese and Japanese culture, and both Yao and Kiku are no strangers to palaces— but the Hall of Mirrors is utterly Western in its baroque grandiosity and impressiveness and artistry. It’s like on one hand, Sino-Japanese conflict is far older than the rise of/very existence of several of these Western powers, and so this is a familiar and incredibly old dynamic in some ways. But at the same time, this whole set up is alien and unfamiliar and while Kiku absolutely has the upper hand, they are both utterly out of their natural element too. As befits how Japanese and Chinese adoption of Westernisation in the 19th-20th centuries was hardly motivated by an indulgent admiration of Western ways, but absolutely driven by a sense of mortal danger to their political autonomy from western empires, if they didn’t adapt to what was now the centre of world power.

[xueyuverse]

Translation of the artist's note

I feel like I've never drawn such a smooth picture. It took me three days in total, and my inspiration went straight to tian ling gai*. This is probably my favorite illustration in recent years~ Even though I'm progressing every day, I still like this illustration! The specific process is for Tian Guan Ci Fu.

The entire composition is determined by the “stability of the triangle*”: 1. Xie Lian used an almost self-destructive method to show mercy to the world and raise the sword for the common people, with determined eyes (because I liked reading some books and also studying some secondary cultures, so I always thought that there are worshipped gods who did not have their eyes painted to show respect, so I paint the statues of the gods without adding the eyes), so I didn't highlight the details here. The color I used is a mix of beige and purple to give Xie Lian a soft background. Under the sword is Qiong Lou*, which is the human world, but I have reduced it for comparison. What is striking is that people are the center and God is also a person. 2. Hua Cheng holds an umbrella in one hand and Xie Lian's self-destructive sword in the other, while protecting Xie Lian from the wind and rain, he cannot bear Xie Lian's sacrifice. The two are framed in a triangle by me because I don't want them to be separated. 3. Hua Cheng is sitting on a flower tree. The flowers are butterflies flying all over the sky with longing. The reflection of the sword's body turns into a silver butterfly resting on the tip of the sword, the hand blocking the hilt echoes Hua Cheng's protection and longing for Xie Lian. Even if I am among thousands of flowers, I am too lazy to look back; this is partly because of the asceticism of a monk and partly because of you I once had (取次花丛懒回顾，半缘修道半缘君).

This image is inspired by “The flowers are blooming on the other side, and there is sadness on the other side, and love is so helpless and so lonely. This caused the string to break at the end, and the flowers fell onto the shoulders, in a trance. Tonight or any other night, I am no longer a stranger to you. Don't break the promise of three lifetimes, it's easy to look at Zhu Chengbi*. I am proud to be worthy of the world, and when I look back, I have kept my promise.”*

I wish everyone a happy appreciation~ If my illustrations can bring happiness to your life~ Then I will also be very happy~~

🔗 Official art, by 全国旅行中ing-cidacc

*天���盖, refers to the bones on top of a person's or some animals' head, the second refers to the skull.

*三角形的稳定性. When all the lengths of the three sides of a triangle are determined, the area and shape of the triangle are completely determined. This property is called the stability of the triangle.

*琼楼, originally referred to the palace of the legendary Moon Palace, but now describes a beautiful building.

*看朱成碧, means to see red as green, to describe dazzled eyes.

*I don't know where this text comes from, whether it is the artist's own or from somewhere else, and I couldn't find it when I searched, if anyone knows, please tell me so I can add it to the post.

Sorry if I translated something wrong, I'm not that good at Mandarin.

[daveykimy]

Chinese Folk Religion: Snowy edition

Recent snow storms where I live has got me thinking: is there a deity responsible for snowfall and winter in traditional Chinese religion?

You got Frau Perchta/Holle in Germanic folklore, Yuki-Ona in Japanese Shinto folk beliefs, Skadi in Norse Paganism, and Morana in Slavic mythology, but I haven't ever heard of such a figure from my elders growing up.

So for this one, I had to actually use my limited Mandarin skills to do research, along with some help from more fluent family members and friends.

It turns out there are more than one traditional winter & snow deities in Chinese folklore. The reason I personally didn't hear of any is because, again, Chinese folk religion is extremely regional. There are central major deities that are uniform but the rest all differs from region to region. Han Chinese people have always spread out across several climate zones, from tropical to sub-arctic. Understandably, Gods and Goddesses associated with weather will differ from region to region. My Chinese side of the family hailed from a region where snowfall isn't very common, and winter isn't normally extreme. But look towards regions north of the Yellow River, and it's more upstream valleys in the Han Chinese heartland, it's a different story.

Teng'Liu: The Spirit of Snow and Frost

The first deity I can find is a figure named Teng'Liu (藤六). This is a male deity associated with snow itself. The "Liu" part if his name is the Chinese character for 6. Snowflakes typically have six arms/branches regardless of pattern. In Chinese numerology, the number 6 is also a number with "extreme Yin energy" (极阴). Snow itself is a thing with a lot of Yin energy too, as it's formed from water. Those familiar with Chinese cosmology should be familiar with the element's association with the cardinal direction of North. Which, again, is attributed with Yin. Thus explains why many forms of his folk names contains the number 6.

There is a folk ritual (which thankfully hasn't been practiced in over a century), which in Northern villages they used to offer up a young girl to this snow deity as a gift to appease him. The unfortunate girl would be tied up in a sack and left to the elements in the cold.

Teng'Liu occurs often in poetic works of literature as a stand-in for "snow". A fitting example is a work from Song dynasty writer and poet Yang Wanli, where he mentions "The Azure Lady pulls along Teng'Liu, as the Sun wilts away as she shakes (him)"** The meaning is obvious, but he mentions an Azure Lady, which takes us to another deity.

Qing'nu (青女）: The Azure Lady

The second deity associated with snow and winter is a Goddess called Qing'nu, or "The Azure Lady", "The Lady in Turquoise", "The Lady in Blue", depending on the translation. She seems to be much more well-attested in ancient religious texts in addition to poetry and seems to predate the emergence of Teng'liu.

Attested in Huainanzi, a text compiled around 139 BC, "...three moons into autumn, Qing'nu emerges (from her home), and makes frost and snow fall..."

She is also mentioned as having white hair in a lot of classical Chinese poetry.

In traditional Chinese folk beliefs, Qing'nu resides in the moon and is a companion/handmaiden of the Moon Goddess Chang'E (嫦娥). Every year at the end of autumn, she will emerge from the moon palace to perform her duty: to bring winter, frost, cold, and snow. She will descend upon Mount Qing'yao (青要山), where she will bathe in the waters there to purify herself. She will then start playing her seven-stranded lyre and snow and frost will fall upon the earth to cleanse the land of impurities and diseases (until they come back next summer).

BTW Mt. Qing'yao is an actual mountain in Henan Province. The mountain itself does play a rather big role in traditional beliefs and in Taoism. In fact, there is a hill adjacent to the mountain named Qing'nu's Peak (青女峰), where on the peak there stands a pillar-like rock. In local folklore they say that lone pillar looks like a slender lady, standing atop the mountains looking down upon the earth. It marks where the Goddess herself stands every year to bring winter. The locals call it "the maiden's rock" (闺女石).

Legend has it there was once a gorgeous palace at the foot of this mountain where Qing'nu would stay in temporarily during winter. This could possibly be a reference to some type of structure used as a shrine or temple. Today only the spring that flowed in the palace remain. The very spring that, according to folklore, that the Goddess herself bathes in to purify herself. Today, young ladies from around would make pilgrimage to that spring to welcome her arrival on 14th day of the ninth month. A second pilgrimage would also be made on 13th day of the third month as she is supposed to leave and return to the moon. (the dates are the dates in the Chinese lunar calendar).

From these we can see while those deities are all associated with snow, they are seen by the people as very different. Teng'liu is very embodiment of the weather phenomenon, kind of like Jack Frost in American folklore. The fact there were rituals to appease him means that he is seen as a very unpredictable and volatile force. A spirit which has to be controlled under strict orders from a higher Celestial deity (天神): Qing'nu. Think of her as the Chinese counterpart to Frau Holle, a spirit attributed to making snow fall but not the snow itself. Or rather, think of those two like Helios and Apollo in Greco-Roman mythology. One being the sun itself and the latter being the one who pulls the sun across the sky.

This was fun, i hope all you folks who are trying to connect to their ancestral beliefs found this useful.

**translation might be off, sorry. Middle Chinese is difficult even for fluent speaker who studies old literature, plus this was Middle Chinese in it's poetic form.

[jedineedlove]

Legend VS LMK Characters:

Kui Mulang (LMK):

[Kaui Mulang, Guard of the Celestial Court, Mansion of the White Tiger, Devourer of Earthly Souls]

Korean: Gyumokrang Mandarin: The Wood Wolf of Legs

Former Celestial Guard turned Yellow-Robed Demon.

After Falling in Love with Jade Maiden and having their love rejected by the Celestial Realm. He gave up their immortality and he awaited for her to reincarnate. As he waits to make sure he will be there to see her he consumes mortal lives to longavit his own.

The 28 Mansions mentioned by him are part of the Chinese constellation system as to why there is so much star imagery is in his castle.

Kui Mulang (Ledgend):

Kui Mulang originated from the ancient Chinese worship of the constellations, a spiritual practice that combines Chinese mythology and astronomy. He is considered to be one of the 28 Mansions, which are Chinese constellations. These are the same as those studied in Western astrology. He appears in Chinese mythology literate notably the JTTW & Fengshen Yanyi.

He is linked to a historical figure called Ma Wu, a general who hailed from the town of Huyang in Tanghe, located in the Henan province.

Kui Mulang is associated with the constellation Andromeda, which appears in the sky in the middle of November. In this constellation is Kui Xiu, described as the "four-legged fish palace" of Heshansu (和善宿) because its shape is similar to a fish. Another constellation, the White Tiger, is also associated with this cluster of stars.

According to the novel Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen Yanyi), Kui Mulang was originally named Li Xiong. After he died in the Battle of the Ten Thousand Immortals, Jiang Ziya deified him as the Wood Wolf of Legs, one of the twenty-eight stars.

In JTTW

Kui Mulang appears as a demon named Yellow Robe Demon . He lives the Moon Waves Cave on Bowl Mountain in the Kingdom of Baoxiang. In his past, the Yellow Robe Demon falls in love with the Jade Maiden in Heaven and decides to elope with her. He becomes a demon lord and the maiden is reincarnated from a goddess to a human who is named Baihuaxiu . She is the third princess of the Kingdom of Baoxiang. The demon then kidnaps the princess, though she has no memory of her existence as a Jade Maiden. He marries her and the couple has two children. Sun Wukong manages to defeat the demon, which mysteriously vanishes after his defeat. Wukong then seeks help from Heaven to track down the demon and learn his true identity. The Jade Emperor discovers that one of the 28 Mansions is missing, so he orders the remaining 27 to subdue the demon. The demon is revealed to be a disguised as Revatī, the Wood Wolf of Legs, a star deity in the heavenly court, and one of the 28 Mansions. The Wood Wolf is then subdued and brought back to Heaven. As punishment, he is ordered to become a furnace keeper under Taishang Laojun.

Jade Maiden:

Considering she is a huge part of Kui Mulang's life I thought maybe also some info about her as well.

[ Yunü / Jade Girl or Jade Maiden]

Yunü is a common designation for a beautiful woman or, in Daoism, for a fairy or immortal

A Taoist deity or goddess in Chinese mythology and Chinese traditional religion who, along with her male counterpart Jintong (Golden Boy), are favored servants of the Jade Emperor and Zhenwudadi. 

They are also believed to serve as guides in the underworld and the protectors of houses and temples. Some of the Golden Boy and Jade Girl pair could be found on some graves at Bukit Brown Cemetery as they are believed to serve as guides in the Spirit World or the Underworld.

During the spring festival, pictures featuring the two can be found on the doors of many households.

This couple helps virtuous souls over a golden bridge to paradise and helps souls whose good deeds outweighed the bad, over a silver bridge to paradise. Therefore by erecting the Golden Boy and Jade Maiden by the grave of the deceased, living family members hope that the deceased will not venture into the courts of hell but instead lead their afterlife in paradise. Yunü and Jintong have appeared in several stories since the Song and Yuan dynasties and have become important figures in Chinese mythology.

There are several mountain peaks bearing her name.

In Journey to the West, Yunü is a servant maid of the Jade Emperor in Heaven. She falls in love with a star god called Kui Mulang and decides to elope with him. However, she doesn't want to ruin Heaven's pureness, so she decides to reincarnate as a human. She enters the human world as Baihuaxiu, the third princess of the Kingdom of Baoxiang.

In Other Literature:

Specific examples are the southern opera version of the legend, Jintong and Yunü, In this context, Yunü is called Longnü and Jintong is called Shancai Tongzi. According to the Shenyijing, Yunü and her companions loved to play touhu, a Chinese game in which arrows or darts are thrown into a vase. In the Avatamsaka Sutra, she and Jintong seek enlightenment and are acolytes of Guan Yin. In this context, Yunü is called Longnü and Jintong is called Shancai Tongzi. Some folktales say that Xue Dingshan and Fan Lihua were originally the Golden Boy and Jade Girl. The Jade Emperor was furious with them and wanted to punish them for breaking the celestial utensils. Fortunately, the Old Man of the South Pole begged for their mercy and was demoted to the mortal world. In the Hanyi ji play, the protagonists Qi Liang and Meng Jiang are reincarnations of Jintong and Yunü. In most popular versions of The Butterfly Lovers, the protagonists Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai are human reincarnations of Jintong and Yunü who are expelled from Heaven Court by Guanyin or the Jade Emperor for their sin and forced to live as a thwarted couple for three or seven generations before being reunited and restored to their original status.

Thoughts:

Yunü has a lot of love and being kicked/leaving heaven tales.

But did love she was more than just known for this story alone.

The JTTW and LMK versions of Kui Mulang are not too different. However, in the retelling of their love tale he only mentioned himself ridding them of their immortality it almost sounded like in that tale she might have had second thoughts and he did it by force. But I hope not but we can never know because the LMK changed a lot of the characters and tweaked some backstories.

I think the real change in the LMK is that Kui Mulang captured Ao Lie before the JTTW. From the way he talked about the Jade Maiden, she had not been reincarnated or at least he had not captured her yet. For Ao Lie It had to be after his banishment of course because he talked about his powers causing damage he felt bad for aka when he burned his dad's stuff.

Well, I hope you, readers enjoyed:)

[the-monkey-ruler]

The Monkey King (2022) 齐天大圣

Director: Jiang Xiaotong Screenwriter: Wei Xiuliang / Wu Yiwen Starring: Xie Miao / Xu Dongdong / Chen Yitong / An Junqi / Zhao Yuntian / Zhao Donghao / Guo Bidong Genre: Fantasy / Costume Country/Region of Production: Mainland China Language: Mandarin Chinese Date: 2022-05-07 (Mainland China) Duration: 81 minutes Also known as: 普通话 IMDb: tt33014444 Type: Retelling

Summary:

The film tells the story of Sun Wukong escaping from the Five Fingers Mountain and bringing his oppressed demon brothers to make trouble in the Heavenly Palace again. 400 years ago, the Monkey King (played by Xie Miao) led the demon world to attack the Heavenly Palace, and played tricks on the immortals. Later, he was subdued by Tathagata and suppressed under the Five Fingers Mountain, and a generation of demon kings fell. In the following four hundred years, the demon world was suppressed by the immortal world and never recovered. 400 years later, although Sun Wukong escaped from the Five Fingers Mountain with the help of a passing little girl Ayi (played by Chen Yitong), he was no longer glorious. He was despised by his former brothers and gradually lost himself in suffering everywhere.

"The Monkey King" revolves around Sun Wukong's self-sacrifice and self-redemption. It is full of ignition points and deals with profound life issues in a comedic way, making the audience laugh with tears. This time, the film is based on Nantianmen and Xiniu Hezhou. Many classic characters from Journey to the West will appear in full. The passionate confrontation and tear-jerking scenes will bring the audience the most unique visual enjoyment.

Source: https://mov-20.chinesemov.com/2022/The-Monkey-King

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yA5mwPDZMyY

[perle-in-her-boudoir]

My perfume rotation

I am big on perfumes, as it is one of my hyperfixations. This hobby is almost obsessive, as I only think about perfumes on day's end, especially if someone wished to find its signature perfume around me. I absolutly will ask a lot of questions, do my reasearch, scramble and present a selection to that person. I love the thrill of the search, the testing, trials and errors, and finally the choice. I found signature perfumes for a lot of my friends, and my boyfriend have also his perfumes (he doesn't have a signature one, but two, which is the next best thing.) But there's one thing : I don't have a signature, but a rotation. I can't choose for the life of me, and it's honestly bothersome. I recently decided to roll for a while with the rotation, and eliminate until I stick to one. Anyway, let's get to it!

Insolence, Guerlain

It was, for 2 years, my signature perfume. I fell in love when it was in the famous bee bottle, but alas I was too late and I missed it and bought it bottled like in the picture, the "La petite robe noire bottle" (I hate that choice, it makes the presentation so bland). The top note is violet flower, which is my favorite scent as it reminds me of the candies of my childhood. It has notes of red berries, orange blossom, and vanilla and iris which gives its powdery scent. I loved the powdery scent with a twist of berries, as it gave a malicious twist to the traditionnal powder. To me, this scent was charming, flirty, light yet present and complementary to my own self image and skin scent. Alas, I think I grew up quite a bit in those last years, and I changed and now it doesn't fit me as much anymore. I am finishing my bottle and I won't buy it again for myself, but I'll keep a fond memory of Insolence.

Putain des Palaces, Etat Libre d'Orange

In my quest to find the successor of Insolence as my signature perfume, I found this gem. This perfume is provocative from the get go (the name translates to "Whore of the Palace") and is described as the scent of a courtesan: powdery with an animalistic and sensual twist. The powdery scent is given with notes of violet (my love!), rose, mandarine, lily of the valley and musk, and the animalistic scent is reprensented by leather, amber and ginger notes. I read here that it smells like sex, and I somewhat agree: it is an erotic scent, yet sophisticated, luxurious and very feminine. It also has that very vintage feel, hence the "grandma" vibe some think but I don't agree, as the blend of notes is very modern at the end of the day. I am absolutly in love with this violet wrapped in leather and lace, and damn I feel like a cocotte in the best way and it is exactly the vibe I want to have to me. Sexy, humourous, sensual, sharp and alluring.

Le Régent, Oriza L. Legrand

Named after the biggest diamond on the French Crown, this perfume from the oldest perfume house in France had me by surprise. I went to the Oriza L. Legrand boutique in Paris back in december to smell Jardins d'Aramide, which was a floral perfume I thought I would like. I was utterly disappointed when I smelled it, so I decided to make my trip worthwhile and to smell every single one of the perfume in the shop. To the first spray, this one was very good, but when I walked out in the street with it on my wrist? I was bewitched. I couldn't stop sniffing my own wrist. This one has no trace of the beloved violet, but this warm, soft, vanilla benzoin had me melting. Think Hypnotic poison by Dior, but warmer and better. It had me running back to the store buying it 3 hours after the initial spray. My boyfriend is in love with this one (and fell in love with Peau d'Espagne of the same house). Le Régent makes me smell like a queen, with a warming and soft presence, but with all her majesty.

La dame aux Camélias, Les cocottes de Paris

Hear me out. You understood that Putain des Palaces and Le Régent are amazing but, let's say, not subtle. I am a french teacher in middle school in France, and I have to smell good as I can be close to my students, yet subtle and demure to not bother them. This one right here does the job : La dame of Camélias is a soft floral powdery perfume with notes of verbena, orange blossom, cardamom, rose, iris, camelia (duh), musk, tonka bean and juniper. It is fresh, powdery as I like, discreet and has the name of the protagonist of french novelist Alexandre Dumas' La dame aux Camélias, which is a plus to me, as I love the silliness to match my litt teacher's vibe to my perfume lol. Maybe one day I'll be tired of buying it only for working and prefer a cheaper option, but for now I am happy with this one. It will never be Perle's signature perfume, but to my students and colleagues it will be Miss *****'s signature perfume.

Which one will be the winner and be my signature scent? Only time will tell!

Bisous,

Perle .

[tsunflowers]

the first thing I want to say about "the emperor and the endless palace" by justinian huang is that it's an extremely horny book (this is the one I was talking about earlier with the eunuch razor blade blowjob). the second is I think people who read a lot of danmei webnovels and/or fanfiction will like it. not bc it's amateurish or anything but bc it's a fantasy story with a lot of gay sex in it

it's about lovers reincarnated across time, with alternating pov chapters from three guys' perspectives. one is a horny and ambitious palace clerk in the Han dynasty. one is a troubled innkeeper in the 1700s. and one is a pre-med student in modern day LA. all three are gay Chinese men and all three are unknowingly woven together by shared fates involving fox spirits and sinister magicians. to give an example of the vibe they all share a peach with another man early on in their stories bc that's famous symbolism except the modern guy shares an ecstasy pill stamped with a peach emoji

I also have two content notes and one formatting note. there is a lot of drug use and sex while under the influence. there are also a couple of scenes with sexual assault. then when it comes to the format, I find it odd that mr huang made the choice to have all English dialogue in standard quotation marks but all Mandarin dialogue in italics. this works great for modern day scenes where characters mostly speak English but it means that the dialogue in 2/3 of the book is rendered in italics. not really a problem but something that was strange to me

[ellevandersneed]

Connection went bloop. Try again? Connection shidded itself. Try again? Divine light severed. Try again? The wolf has stolen another lamb from its straw crib. Try again? A messiah has risen and failed in the provinces. Try again? A one winged crow circles over the imperial palace dome. Try again? White boy screwed up Mandarin pronounciation at the Chinese restaurant. Try again?

[glorious-sunset]

Location Names in LBFAD – Meaning and Significance

For English viewers, some of the location names in LBFAD (Love between Fairy and Devil) are given in Mandarin. However, the meanings of these names have deep significance that are lost in translation! Here are my translations and interpretations of these meanings.

Cang Yan Hai - 苍盐海: “Dark blue Salt Sea”

The hanzi (mandarin character) for “Cang” is the same as the “Cang” in “Dongfang QingCANG” (DFQC) and means dark blue. The colour dark blue is representative of the Moon Tribe, and may symbolise the night sky featuring the Moon (their emblem) and its reflection in the water of their Sea. Only members of the royal family (DFQC and Xunfeng) are seen wearing dark blue, embellished with gold (see image above). Other characters, such as Jieli and Xiao Lanhua (XLH) do wear blue but generally in lighter hues. Part of DFQC’s name (but not all, I will post more on this later) is named after the realm of the Moon Tribe, as he represents Cangyan Sea as their leader. The darkness of this imagery (and their better fashion and clothing! :D ) contrasts with the light and airy tones of Shuiyuntian.

The character for “Yan” is the same as the “Yan” in Lady Yan, the founder of the Moon Tribe, and means salt. Cangyan Sea is named after its founder to honour her establishment of their Tribe, and her name reflects the bitterness (saltiness) of her personal life experiences and her actions in response to these (I will post more on this later). “Yan” also symbolises the saltiness of the seawater in Cangyan Sea, and the harshness of the environment there. The people of the Moon Tribe work hard to survive, depending on fishing and hunting for sustenance. “Hai” means sea, acknowledging that Cangyan Sea is made up of many small islands surrounded by sea. The Moon Tribe also obtain many varieties of fresh seafood from the sea (and have better food than Shuiyuntian! :D )

Si Ming Dian - 司命殿: “Arbiter of Fate Temple”

This sacred place is named after the Arbiter of Fate, Siming (the title of her position), and hosts the sacred Tree of Destiny and Tianji Mirror. “Dian”, meaning temple (although subtitled as “Hall”), reflects the consecrated nature of this abode. The Arbiter of Fate, Siming, was in charge of the fates of everyone in the three realms, and took particular care to guide the destiny of XLH, whom she loved like a daughter, and upon whose fate the safety of the three realms depended.

Siming Dian is located in the most remote part of Shuiyuntian, and it can be supposed that Siming (and her predecessors) intentionally established their abode here to avoid Shuiyuntian politics and protect XLH’s secret identity. Fairies describe it as a miserable destination (ep. 1) and avoid visiting unless absolutely necessary. This remoteness and solitude allowed DFQC and XLH to peacefully coexist there for almost two weeks without being disturbed or discovered. Due to its north-facing aspect and remoteness, however, it does not receive much sunlight, making it difficult for the spirits there to cultivate and for XLH to recover after having her energy drained.

Shui Yun Tian - 水雲天: “Heavens of Water and Clouds”

“Tian” means sky/heavens and “Yun” means clouds, and from its lofty position high in the sky among the clouds, the residents of the Fairy Realm, Shuiyuntian, look down upon the mortal realm and the realm of the Moon Tribe, both literally and figuratively. They believe they are the top, most superior race, and have been actively trying to wipe out the Moon Tribe for generations. The fairies look down on XLH because of her origin from the mortal realm. But their views and opinions have been clouded by the propaganda circulated within Shuiyuntian, especially around members of the Moon Tribe.

All locations in Shuiyuntian (Arbiter Hall, Fountain Palace, Yujing etc.) float in the sky, and its residents are immortal beings with the ability to fly and manipulate energy. The clouds in this heavenly ethereal paradise are also home to the magical Cloud Whale.

���Shui” means water, and the capital of Shuiyuntian (Yujing) is the place where the four rivers Xiao, Xiang, Li and Yuan converge, controlled by the Four-River Pearl tower. Many structures featuring water are seen throughout Shuiyuntian, such as Fountain Palace, the waterfall in Shuyu forest and floating water fountains throughout Yujing. The vast amounts of water are a lethal weakness which DFQC exploits in ep. 9 by destroying the Four-River Pearl. This creates catastrophic tsunami waves threatening both Shuiyuntian and the mortal realm, the flow of which the celestials are barely able to reverse with their combined powers!

Yu Jing - 玉京: “Jade Capital”

Yujing, the capital of Shuiyuntian, is named after the sacred stone Jade, which is rare and highly prized in both Cangyan Sea and Shuiyuntian. However, the rarest forms of Jade come from Cangyan Sea, such as the Magical Jade Firefly stone which takes 10,000 years to form in the cold temperatures of Northernmost Ocean. No wonder Shuiyuntian wants to conquer Cangyan Sea and exploit their resources! Changheng obtained the Firefly stone for XLH during his recent invasion of Northernmost Ocean.

The other jade artefacts in the series are also observed within Cangyan Sea. The holy token of the Moon Supreme, the magical Jade ring, is a sacred artefact made of rare jade. This ring is enchanted to protect its wearer from mental influences, including the mental and emotional effects of the one-heart curse. Jieli steals rare jade from the Spiritual Treasures Pavilion at Silent Moon Palace (claiming it is for XLH :P )

Shu Yu Lin - 淑玉林: “Gentle Jade Forest”

Also named for the prized stone Jade, it is possible that Shuyu forest has some jade deposits, although we do not see them. “Shu” means gentle, and this forest is so well-lit, open and safe that escaped celestial criminals from Haotian tower are able to hide there only briefly in ep. 2. A few demons are brought in for a day for the fairies’ examination, but otherwise no dangerous creatures are seen in this forest. This was a beautiful and idyllic location for XLH and Changheng’s fateful tryst 500 years ago! :D

What a contrast this forest is to the Dark Pine Forest in Cangyan Sea! The Dark Pine Forest is dense and dark enough to hide the most evil of schemers, Ronghao, his henchmen and allies prime among them! It is also used for hunting and dangerous beasts likely lurk within.

Hao Tian Ta - 昊天塔: “Vast Sky Tower”

Located within the heavenly sky realm of Shuiyuntian, this maximum security prison is so vast that XLH is able to float freely within the top tier in ep. 1, the walls of the tower being so distant as to be out of sight. The vast tower has many many levels separated from each other, to house its numerous prisoners, who are sentenced to lengthy terms spanning tens of thousands of years. They are immortals, so executing them would lead to them reincarnating. Therefore, they are imprisoned instead to eliminate potential threats to Shuiyuntian. Haotian Tower is beside Shuyu Forest, as XLH observes the High Council around the tower from there in ep. 1, and both she and celestial criminals end up there after escaping the tower in ep. 2.

Xuan Xu Zhi Jing - 玄虚之境: “Realm of Deceit”

The Xuanxu realm is the region of Cangyan Sea that 30,000 years ago, saw the downfall of DFQC and the 100,000 soldiers loyal to him and to the Moon Tribe. “Xuanxu” means mystery or deceit, and perfectly describes how both DFQC and his soldiers were taken off-guard by Lady Chidi’s sacrifice, which sealed the soldiers within the earth. DFQC describes these tactics as “dirty tricks” in ep. 2.

Prior to the arrival of DFQC’s 100,000 soldiers, he and Lady Chidi had already been battling each other for some time (days in the novel), during which time, DFQC had marked the back of Lady Chidi’s neck with Hellfire, and she had weakened him. Thus, after her sacrifice, Lord Dong and the combined Heavenly High Council were able to gang up on and capture an already weakened DFQC, separating his spirit from his body and imprisoning both within Haotian Tower and the powerful magical seal of the Haotian Matrix. Note that DFQC refuses to stoop to this level of (deceitful) unfairness in ep. 13 when he refuses to fight a Changheng who is already injured and disadvantaged.

Shuiyuntian again launch an unprovoked attack and invasion of Cangyan Sea in ep. 31, on the deceitful false accusation that Ronghao offers them. The Xuanxu Realm is the site where the gravely outnumbered women and children of the Moon Tribe try to defend themselves against this genocidal onslaught.

Yun Meng Ze - 雲夢澤: “Cloud Dream Lake”

Yunmeng Ze is the only realm for mortal inhabitants among the three realms, as both Shuiyuntian and Cangyan Sea are the homes of immortal beings. It is named for the bountiful lakes bordering its buildings and residences. These lakes are connected to the Oblivion River, which immortals can use to transport themselves between Yunmeng Ze, Cangyan Sea and Shuiyuntian (as our OTP do in ep. 26).

The mortals that live here are not aware of the existence of magic or immortal beings, or of the other two realms, thus their perceptions are “clouded”. And like a fleeting cloud or dream, their lives are brief and fleeting compared with the lives of immortal beings. Even time runs much faster within Yunmeng Ze compared with the other two realms. A few hours in Cangyan Sea or Shuiyuntian is equivalent to a few months in Yunmeng Ze. For immortals living out tribulations in the mortal realm, their memories of their immortal lives are absent during this time, thus their perceptions are also clouded and the life they live out here is like a dream in retrospect.

Lu Cheng - 鹿城: “Deer City”

It’s not clear why Lucheng, a city in the mortal realm, is named after deer, but perhaps its inhabitants enjoy hunting deer for sport or for sustenance :) In the novel, Lucheng is a city under siege, thus its inhabitants are prey, similar to deer.

Hai Shi - 海市: “Sea City”

Haishi was founded by Ronghao with the backing of Xunfeng 30,000 years ago for the purpose of refining evil qi to sustain Taisui. It is a thriving centre for commerce and trade, and its location beside the sea (for which it is named “Sea City”) enables efficient transportation of mercantile goods to and from other regions. Within Haishi are located Jieli’s shop, the Luifang Pavilion and the Soul transformation grounds.

Haishi is located outside the three realms of Yunmengze, Shuiyuntian and Cangyan Sea. The evidence for this is: a) Jieli’s shop contains many magical artefacts that are forbidden in the mortal realm of Yunmengze so her shop can’t be there. b) XLH visits Jieli’s shop in Haishi in ep. 2 and she wouldn’t have been allowed to (or able to) visit Cangyan Sea at this time so the shop can’t be there. c) Jieli had been enchanted by her parents to have the appearance of a member of the Moon Tribe, thus would not have been allowed to live and trade in Shuiyuntian so her shop can’t be there. d) Ronghao is based in Haishi and he infrequently visits Shuiyuntian, thus Haishi is not in Shuiyuntian. Being outside the three realms enables Ronghao to refine evil qi from the souls of both Fairy Realm and Moon Tribe members without the notice of either of these tribes.

Liu Fang Ge - 留芳阁: “Keep Fragrant Pavilion”

The Liufang Pavilion in Haishi is the base for Ronghao (the Master of Haishi) and Dieyi, and is a legitimate business centre. It is the cover that they use for their nefarious activities of refining evil qi from the souls of the dead and feeding Taisui, thus it is important that they keep the reputation of this centre ever clean and fragrant.

Xi Shan - 息山: Breath (of life) Mountain

Xishan is also placed outside of the three realms in a faraway and remote location, and is named for the many mountains in this region. Members of the Xilan tribe inhabiting Xishan had the unique ability to restore damaged and disembodied spirits and had powerful healing magics. The Goddess of Xishan, with the power of the breath of life, could even resurrect the dead. The character for "Xi" is the same as the "Xi" in Xiyun (XLH's real name) and means breath (of life). Thus part of XLH's name is the same as the name of her realm, just as part of DFQC's name is the same as the name of his realm. This is because they both represent their respective realms and peoples as their leaders!

The Xilan tribe alongside the Goddess maintained tight security over the ultimate ancient evil god Taisui, who could not be completely defeated but was carefully sealed away beneath Xishan.

Here is a link to my article: LBFAD is the most inspiring series I have ever watched and here is why…

All of my LBFAD articles can be viewed with the tag #lbfad reflections (hyperlinked) and the table of contents to these is here.