#but also. ming yi images

[morethanwonderful]

I've been gathering images to set up a little mxtx bracket game, and god. it is *so* unreasonably hard to get good images of tgcf characters without spoilers lmao

Like, Feng Xin, Mu Qing, He Xuan, and Bai Wuxiang have all shown up a bunch in the donghua and manhua, but never as themselves!! And I don't wanna spoil any secret identities :(

[thereisselfpreservation]

Also the mental image I always have in my head of Hua Cheng nodding to himself with a satisfied smirk, so damn pleased, as he's set everything up perfectly to give Xie Lian everything he needs to get to the dungeons and rescue Ming Yi and escape back to Heaven. Hua Cheng made Yin Yu reveal the shackle so it would be suspicious enough for Xie Lian to follow after him to see where he needs to go and exactly, step by step, what he needs to do to get inside. Hua Cheng gave him all the luck he needs to roll the dice on the exact number to open the room and then the dungeon, and then get back out and into Paradise Manor all on the first try without so much as a scratch on his lovely little head. It was such a flawless plan! Gave Xie Lian all of the pieces he needs to put the puzzle together, and Hua Cheng knows he will. He's finally fulfilling his purpose of allowing his beloved to get through life with ease, yet still being able to do it all on his own. His wonderful, strong, intelligent beloved...

And it just cuts to Xie Lian thinking he won't roll the right number even with the borrowed luck and making Wind Master do it TWICE and them having to run from everything trying to kill them, probably with Yakety Sax playing over the montage.

...You tried. You tried so hard. Unfortunately Xie Lian has some issues he needs to work through, but man you really gave it your all. You did so good. You did it, buddy. Good job. 👍

(Another cut to Paradise Manor on fire.)

[accio-victuuri]

wait.. i’m literally on here or weibo almost 24/7 ( as you can tell lol ) but I feel like i missed something. i’m seeing clowning related to xz’s photos and how it looks like he is a groom and it’s a wedding photoshoot. the place is also famous for wedding shoots ( allegedly, idk. i’m not from there ) so turtles are imagining again. lol. freakin coincidence that wyb’s GRA photoshoot was done at a wedding shop. plus the “wedding outfits” for weibo night. which is all clowning and galaxy braining.🌌

now, we’re joking around, like where’s yibo? he should be taking photos with his partner.

then i see comments that there is this one song WYB recently listened to. meaning, as recent as when XZ flew to singapore which is called 超人不会飞 (superman can’t fly) by Jay Chou. i know WYB and everyone else is a big fan of Jay Chou but the clowning comes from the timing of when he listened to it. let me get to that first.

here is the song if you wanna listen to it. 🎶

turtles are interpreting it as WYB longing to “fly” to where XZ is and be with him but he can’t because of all his work commitments. he wants to take a breather. thinking about what his life is and the constraints, and at times like this, when they spent days in Beijing, but now they have to be apart, it affects him even more.

however when i read the lyrics, it could also be because he can relate to what jay chou is singing about. here’s the english translation i found here. i have bolded the ones i felt like WYB relates too. literally no need for explanation. just read it. It fits with his status in life so much that it’s almost scary.

妈妈说很多事别太计较

ma ma shuo heng duo shi bie tai ji jiao

Mum said one should not be too fussy over most matters

只是使命感找到了我 我睡不着

zhi shi shi ming gan zhao dao le wo wo shui bu zhao

But my sense of mission found me and i can't sleep over it

如果说骂人要有点技巧

ru guo shuo ma ren yao you diao ji qiao

If scolding someone requires some skills

我会加点旋律你会觉得 超屌

wo hui jia diao xuan lu ni hui jue de chao diao

I will add a tune and you will feel it's very cool (diao)

��的枪不会装弹药（弹药）

wo de qiang bu hui zhuang dan yao (dan yao)

My gun is not loaded with ammunition

所以放心不会有人倒（人倒）

suo yi fang xin bu hui you ren dao (ren dao)

So don't worry, nobody will collapse

我拍青蜂侠不需要替身 因为自信是我绘画的颜料

wo pai qing feng xia bu xu yao ti sheng yin wei zi xin shi wo hui hua de yan liao

I don't need a double for The Green Hornet because confidence is the coloring for my painting

我做很多事背后的意义远比你们想象

wo zuo heng duo shi bei hou de yi yi yuan bi ni men xiang xiang

The meaning behind the things I did is far beyond your imagination

拍个电视剧为了友情与十年前的梦想

pai le dian shi ju wei le you qing yu shi nian qian de meng xiang

Filming a tv drama is for friendship and a dream 10 years ago

收视率再高也难抗衡我的伟大理想

shou shi lv zai gao ye nan kang heng wo de wei da li xiang

No matter how high the rating is, it can't match my noble ideal

因为我的人生无需再多一笔那奖项

yin wei wo de ren sheng wo xu zai duo yi bi na jiang xiang

Because my life do not need another award

我不知道何时变成了社会的那榜样

wo bu zhi dao he shi bian cheng le se hui de na bang yang

I don't know when I have become a society's role model

被狗仔拍不能比中指要大器的模样（怎样）

bei gou zai pai bu neng bi zhong zhi yao da qi de mo yang (zen yang)

Can't show the paparazzi the finger and have to put on a magnanimous front

我唱的歌词要有点文化

wo chang de ge ci yao you dian wen hua

The lyrics I sing must have some degree of literacy

因为随时会被当教材

yin wei sui shi hui bei dan jiao cai

Because it might become teaching material anytime

CNN能不能等英文好一点再访

CNN neng bu neng deng ying wen hao yi dian zai fang

Can CNN interview me when my English gets a little better

时代杂志封面能不能重拍

shi dai za zhi feng mian neng bu neng chong pai

Can i reshoot the Time magazine cover

随时随地注意形象

sui shi sui di zhu yi xin xiang

I must take care of my image at all times

要控制饮食不然就跟杜莎夫人蜡像的我不像（本来就不像）

yao kong zhi yin shi bu ran jiu gen du sha fu ren la xiang de wo bu xiang (ben lai jiu bu xiang)

I must control my diet or i won't look like the "me" in Madame Tussauds (it doesn't look like me in the first place)

好莱坞的中国戏院地上有很多手印脚印

hao lai wu de zhong guo xi yuan di shang you heng duo shou yin jiao yin

There are many handprints and footprints at Grauman's Chinese Theatre

何时才能看见我的掌

he shi cai neng kan jian wo de zhang

When will mine be seen there?

如果超人会飞 那就让我在空中停一停歇

ru guo chao ren hui fei na jiu rang wo zai kong zhong ti yi ti xie

If Superman can fly then let me take a breather in the sky

再次俯瞰这个世界 会让我觉得好一些

zai ci fu kan zhe ge shi jie hui ran wo jue de hao yi xie

Overlooking this world again will let me feel better

拯救地球好累 虽然有些疲惫但我还是会

zheng jiu di qiu hao lei sui ran you xie pi bei dan wo hai shi hui

Saving the world is tiring, though I am a little tired, I still will

不要问我哭过了没

bu yao wen wo ku guo le mei

Don't ask me if I have cried

因为超人不能流眼泪

yin wei chao ren bu neng liu yan lei

Because Superman can't cry

唱歌要拿最佳男歌手

chang ge yao na zui jia nan ge shou

(You) must get best male singer award as a singer

拍电影也不能只拿个最佳新人

pai dian yin ye bu neng zhi na ge zui jia xin ren

A newcomer award is not enough if you act

你不参加颁奖典礼就是没礼貌

ni bu can jia ban jiang dian li jiu shi mei li mao

Not attending award ceremonies is considered rude

你去参加就是代表你很在乎

ni qu can jia jiu shi dai biao ni heng zai hu

And if you do, it means you are over-concerned about it

得奖时你感动落泪（落泪）人家就会觉得你夸张做作（做作）

de jia shi ni gan dong luo lei (luo lei) ren jia jiu hui jue de ni kuang zhang zuo zuo

When you won an award and teared, people will think you are fake and exaggerating

你没表情别人就会说太嚣张

ni mei biao qing bie ren jiu hui shuo tai xiao zhang

When you have no expression, others will say you are too arrogant

如果你天生这个表情 那些人甚至会怪你妈妈（妈妈）

ru guo ni tian sheng zhe ge biao qing na xie ren sheng zhi hui guai ni ma ma (ma ma)

And if you are born with that expression, they will even blame your mum

结果最后是别人在得奖 你也要给予充分的掌声与微笑

jie guo zui hou shi bie ren zai de jiang ni ye yao ge yu chong fen de zhang sheng yu wei xiao

In the end someone else gets the award, you also have to give ample applause and smile

开的车不能太好 住的楼不能太高

kai de che bu neng tai hao zhu de lou bu neng tai gao

The car you drive can't be too luxurious nor can you live too high up

我到底是一个创作歌手 还是好人好事代表

wo dao di shi yi ge chuang zuo ge shou hai shi hao ren hao shi dai biao

Am I a singer-songwriter or a representative of good men and good deeds?

专辑一出就必须是冠军

zhuan ji yi chu jiu bi xu shi guan jun

My album must be ranked top once released

拍了电影就必须要大卖

pai le dian yin jiu bi xu yao da mai

My movie must sell well

只能说当超人真的好难

zhi neng shuo dan chao ren zhen de hao nan

I can only say, being a Superman is difficult

如果超人会飞（超人会飞）那就让我在空中停一停歇（停一停歇）

ru guo chao ren hui fei (chao ren hui fei) na jiu rang wo zai kong zhong ti yi ti xie (ti yi ti xie)

If Superman can fly then let me take a breather in the sky

再次俯瞰这个世界 会让我觉得好一些

zai ci fu kan zhe ge shi jie hui ran wo jue de hao yi xie

Overlooking this world again will let me feel better

拯救地球好累（地球好累）虽然有些疲惫但我还是会（我还是会）

zheng jiu di qiu hao lei (di qiu hao lei) sui ran you xie pi bei dan wo hai shi hui (wo hai shi hui)

Saving the world is tiring, though I am a little tired, I still will

不要问我哭过了没

bu yao wen wo ku guo le mei

Don't ask me if I have cried

因为超人不能流眼泪

yin wei chao ren bu neng liu yan lei

Because Superman can't cry

=====

I don’t think there is anything wrong with how cpfs are relating this to cpn cause that’s just how it is. But sometimes, there are other reasons why they do what they do.

SO MY CONFUSION COMES FROM HOW THE HELL DO PEOPLE KNOW WHAT HE RECENTLY LISTENED TO. I can’t seem to dig up how or maybe it’s something we don’t talk about. I have never experienced this kind of tidbit related to them before so I wanna know the source. Or is this like the gaming cpn where certain people know and they will not divulge the boy’s account for privacy? if anyone knows, feel free to comment. If i find out in the future, I will share.

[mtkay13]

Qi Ye cast poster!!

This had started as a sketch, waaay back as I was still reading Qi Ye. The original is pretty different from this (I considered adding it in the post but I actually don't like it anymore haha), but the plan was already to make this big spread with most of the -more or less- important cast.

I will add here some thoughts about the whole piece, and I guess, Qi Ye itself. My main goal was probably to express my deep and intense feelings for Qi Ye, its grandness, and its awesome cast-- and along with that, flesh out my mental image of each of them, their personality, their style. Here is a table with the names, so we know who is whom, and so I can add some details about my perspective on them and their design.

Jing Beiyuan has always come quite naturally. I just go for the "prettiest face" I ever came with in terms of : my own taste, and the features I find the most delicate. I'd argue he's the easiest character to draw for me across both QY and TYK. On this image, he's probably around 16 or 17. I find his expressions to be very fun to work on in general.

Ping An is also quite an easy character to draw, just for how specific Priest is when describing him.

Wu Xi's design is mainly inspired by a discussion with my friend Hanya, who talked about how, in SHL, Wu Xi more resembled a northern shaman than a southern shaman. It made me want to explore the designs and characteristics a bit more, and come up with more colourful fabrics, patterns, and darker skin color. Same goes for Ashinlae and Nuahar, to have them matching Wu Xi's aesthetic.

Ming Hua was included in this just because of the mess the mention of his name caused in the story. The two jealousy tantrums are just so delightful!!

Su Qingluan was made to resemble Jing Beiyuan, of course. What I wanted to reflect in her face was her frustration, mainly.

Ji Xiang and Hua Yue... Well. Nothing particular about their design either, but they had to be there. Of course, of course they had to be there.

Finally, an opportunity to draw Zishu with his fan and henchmen! Not mad that he kinda looks like a villain, here.

Lu Yu!! I drew him with an Ashinlae mask, since he disguises himself as Ashinlae. I included him because he matters a lot in my headcanons about Siji Manor. (it isn't specified, in Qi Ye, whether or not he's actually part of the manor, but I like to consider that he is for various reason that I may detail if I ever make a Siji Manor post)

I'll skip Jiang Xue and Liang Jiuxiao because their designs are steady for me, now.

I hesitated a lot for Helian Pei's pose, but ended up going for this one (looking bored, out of his depth, lost in the distance with his birds around him). I considered showing him with a bird in his hands, but I guess that's not the main vibe I get from him. And then, well, golden, flashy clothing, suited for an emperor.

Helian Zhao had to be in a showy armor, and I hated making it because it's so much work, haha. I took inspiration from an armor in NiF. I'm quite happy with how he came out in terms of both vibe and showiness.

I tried going full out on Helian Qi. Making him the villain that Qi Ye deserved. Dark, showy, elegant and horrible.

Helian Yi is also pretty solid for me, by now.

About the illustration itself, the main challenge was definitely to make a nice colour palette while still differenciating all the characters. I wanted to go with something intense, eerie, that could also complement the main tones I would go for (= red, purple, blue and green). I'm quite happy with how the golden tones, along with the green and reddish lights, make the whole thing come together. I struggled a little bit with the composition at first, but once I got the flow and the main figures down, it just happened quite easily. Anyway, I'm quite proud of this, and hope it conveys the love and admiration I have for Qi Ye well.

[becauseimanicequeen]

Because you like color related questions: What is your favorite color and what ql use it best?

Hi, Anon.

I love the question, but...

How can this artist who loves colors possibly choose a favorite among the things that give her life?

I know I'm crazy, but not that crazy! lol

So I'll just change the question a bit and steer this post in the direction I want (and give you more than you asked for). Okay? Okay!

I'm practically obsessed with one half of the traditional color wheel. And that's everything from purple, going into blue, and up to blue-green (or what most people call turquoise or teal, the latter which seems to have become really popular in the past few years). Throw some pink in there, preferably the neon/fluorescent kind, and black and you basically have my art, lol.

To summarize, though, my favorite colors are:

Purple

Blue

Blue-green (or what most people call turquoise or teal)

Pink

Black

With that said, let's move on to the second part of your question.

I can't remember if I've ever seen blue-green (turquoise/teal) in a QL (but my memory is fucked, so help me if you want).

When it comes to the other colors, I will share some moments from QLs where the colors are particularly beautiful (in my eyes), used in a great way in a particular scene, or when there's a color-coded character I like rather than focus on the use of a particular color throughout a whole series (the latter would turn into a thesis for each color, lol, and I just don't have the time or energy for that right now).

Let's start with black and then move through the others according to the color wheel.

I love black because it goes well with every other color. But I also love black because it's a color that can be used in shows/films without using it. And that's by filming night scenes.

I love night scenes in shows/films because it's many times used for the big emotional scenes, from confessions to breakups and everything in between.

The black might not be evident in all these particular images I've included below, but all these scenes play out in the dark of evening/night.

Like in To Be Continued when Ji practically confesses that he likes Achi but gets rejected (kind of):

When Zhou Shu Yi confesses his love for Gao Shi De in We Best Love: No. 1 For You:

Shu Yi is also one of my favorite QL characters, and he often wears black.

When Sailom confesses that he likes Namnuea in Wedding Plan:

Which I think has a deeper meaning since he can only ever truly be himself in the dark or in the company of Yiwa through a large part of the series.

Then there's Phat loosing his shit in La Pluie:

He finally got to unload some of the shit that had been weighing on him for so long, and I loved that scene so much.

And then there's My Stand-In that practically show a multitude of different emotions in their night scenes:

And Ming wears black a lot, which I've written about in this post about his clothes in particular, and in this one where I've also written about Joe's blue.

I could spend a whole post on night scenes, but I won't because I need to save some images for the other colors, lol.

So, moving on to pink!

For me, there are two characters/shows that stand out with the use of pink. The first one is Tankhun in KinnPorsche:

He's so ridiculous, such a drama queen, and that's exactly why I love him so much. And, he's constantly surrounded by pink.

Then there's Wandee Gooday. This series didn't just use pink, but neon pink, and I will forever and ever love this one for that:

The one above has some purple in it too, but the color on their skin, pillows, etc., has more red than blue in it, which (in my eyes) means it's verging more towards pink.

There's also this softer pink that's in contrast to the other images above. They're using different values, intensities, and hues of pink to create different moods/vibes in their scenes, and I love that.

Other honorable mentions (but I have to save on the images since tumblr only gives me 30... lol):

Tharn and Phaya's first (real) sex scene in The Sign (not the dreams). The neon pink is divine in that scene.

Maybe in Secret Crush on You as well. I can remember that there were neon lights. And, when there are neon lights, there has to be pink, right? (I will be rewatching this series for my Pride Month celebrations soon, so I might get to see how wrong I am, lol.)

The pink neon lights in Ai Di's club in Kiseki: Dear to Me were also divine.

Now, let's move on to purple.

I obviously have to mention Dee from Wandee Goodday here, because he just looks so good in purple:

Also, both Dee and Yak look good in purple:

Please, Wandee Goodday, give me more purple!

Other than this, I can't remember purple that well. So, let me share three examples that are a bit purple-ish. The first one is Kiseki: Dear to Me where the lights sometimes verge towards purple.

Then we have two different series where there are blueish and pinkish lights that, kind of, mix and create purple. The first one is this scene in KinnPorsche:

And the other one is this scene in Love in the Air:

They look really similar, don't they? And I absolutely love those colors together. That lighting is divine.

Next, we have blue.

Blue is used a lot. And when I say a lot, I mean a lot.

So I had to narrow it down a lot and choose a couple of blue characters and moments.

Let's start with this scene from Deep Night:

This is the scene where Pan and Ken start flirting with Seji like it's a competition. But what I love about this shot in particular (besides from the blue) is that Pan, who is the one who brings up poly, shows up between Seji and Ken in the shot (and in several scenes throughout the series). He's the one who brought all three of them together. And I love that he often stands in the middle. Also, he looks so good in blue.

Then there's Ji in To Be Continued who is surrounded by blue basically all the time because he's a blue character. And he looks really good in blue.

And then there's King from Bed Friend who is also gorgeous in all the blue hues:

Then I love this moment in Two Worlds:

These two got about 10 seconds in the finale, which was the highlight of this episode for me. Both of them practically propose to each other at the same time, both are dressed in blue and standing in front of those blueish pillars. I loved every single second of this scene as if each second was a whole hour long.

Then there's a whole series called Blue Boys, which meant I had to watch it as soon as I heard about it in April/May. The second part started yesterday with a new episode and I have to say that I really love this short series and its vibe (their chemistry is great, btw). And Nami's blue shirt:

That blue is gorgeous.

And then, last but not least, there's one of my favorite blue characters, and that's Saengtai in La Pluie:

I love this blue boy and his yellow boyfriend so much. They're one of my favorite couples in the QLs I've watched.

As an introvert (passing off as an extrovert, which makes me want to shut up and hide on purpose most of the time to protect my energy, lol) I can absolutely relate to Tai not wanting to socialize with everyone all the fucking time. He's chosen the people who get to drain energy from him (I wish I was that good at putting up boundaries, lol) so I'm not as annoyed by his silence as many others who watch this might be.

Yes, he hurt Phat's feelings. Yes, Phat had every right to run away when he was hurt. Yes, it was glorious to see Tai switching on his loyalty like never before when he realized how much he'd hurt Phat. And that whole episode of him searching for Phat and losing it when he found him healed parts of me I didn't even know were broken (lol).

If you haven't seen La Pluie, I recommend watching it.

Anyway...

There you have it, Anon. My favorite colors (because I can't choose one) and some of my favorite characters/moments including those colors.

Thank you for your ask.

[c-h-pictures]

TGCF as Taskmaster

Hua Cheng: I hope this doesn't seem disrespectful, Pei Ming, but when I heard you were booked, I was A, delighted, and B, I suspected you would drag this show into the gutter.

Pei Ming: *nods*

Hua Cheng: But. Shi Qingxuan, it would appear, is the person I should have kept my eye on. You said "ooh, look at you with your big pipe", "not even if I took it right to the rim would that one work",

Shi Qingxuan: Is that rude?

Pei Ming: *silently dying of laughter*

Hua Cheng: and then, correct me if I'm wrong. You shook your chest at us

Shi Qingxuan: It was a shimmy!

-

He Xuan, clearly terrified: That's right, I love you and I love my wife. Equally.

-

Xie Lian: *carries in a cactus and puts the doughnut on top of it* That's not bad, is it? Through. There you go.

He Xuan: Yeah?

Xie Lian: Are there any spare doughnuts?

He Xuan: To?

Xie Lian: Nibble.

He Xuan: To nibble? Yes, I can get you another doughnut to nibble, that's fine.

Xie Lian: Okay!

-

He Xuan: Here's a doughnut for you to nibble.

Xie Lian, fiddling with objects: Okay, and that's also a test doughnut.

He Xuan: Did you trick me into getting you a test doughnut?

Xie Lian:

-

Xie Lian: My time spent collecting scraps. Finally coming in good!

Xie Lian: I've... I've stuck my hands together. That's a bit of an issue.

-

Hua Cheng: The only thing that's through that doughnut is.

Shi Qingxuan: Yeah?

Hua Cheng: Less than a centimeter of cactus tip.

Shi Qingxuan: I said to Ming Yi, is it through, Ming Yi said, yes.

Hua Cheng: He misled you.

Shi Qingxuan: Why would you do that to me? I thought we were friends.

Hua Cheng: Yeah.

He Xuan: Did you?

Shi Qingxuan: Yeah!

He Xuan: No one's ever said that to me.

Shi Qingxuan: I can't believe you've turned on me like this.

Hua Cheng: Yeah, he does that.

Shi Qingxuan: Yeah.

Hua Cheng: He's no loyalty to anyone.

Shi Qingxuan: Two faced!

Hua Cheng: No loyalty to anyone!

Shi Qingxuan: I'm sat here between sexy and brainy side and then it's ol' chump in the middle.

-

Jun Wu: I would not have had the courage to pass the toy giraffe...

Hua Cheng: Yeah?

Jun Wu: ... through the doughnut.

Hua Cheng: God, it really does work having an emperor. I almost started to believe it was important, passing a giraffe through a doughnut. It does work!

-

Hua Cheng: This is going to drive an even bigger wedge between you and Shi Qingxuan, because I'm going to allow Feng Xin the cow.

He Xuan: Well, the cow is the biggest this, it's 800,000 centimetres cubed-

Mu Qing: No, no, hang on. But the image part-

Feng Xin: NO JUST SHUSH HE'S MADE HIS CHOICE

-

Shi Wudu, putting on the gloves: It's very Qingxuan.

Shi Qingxuan: *poses immediately after getting the gloves on* They work.

-

Shi Qingxuan: It doesn't have to be standing, does it?

He Xuan: Most accurate sculpture wins.

Shi Qingxuan: Scene! Can you lay on the floor?

Shi Qingxuan: Right, what colour's your hat?

Scene:

Shi Qingxuan: Is it purple? Silver?

Scene:

Shi Qingxuan: Azure? Lemon? Russet-grey?

Scene:

Shi Qingxuan: WHAT COLOUR'S YOUR FUCKING HAT?

-

Hua Cheng: Mu Qing, I think I saw a moment where you finally realised what show you're on, where you went "Why would he be holding a duck?"

-

Hua Cheng: During the break. Xie Lian dropped his mike and pack into the toilet.

Xie Lian: I did, I did.

-

He Xuan: Here's Feng Xin's sculpture.

Hua Cheng: See, I don't know if it's good.

Feng Xin: Excuse me!

He Xuan: Here's the lollipop man they were trying to sculpt.

Hua Cheng: Well, first things first. Xie Lian, you were right. He's a powerhouse.

-

Hua Cheng: In third, and no one is more surprised about this than me, Pei Ming, is Pei Ming, with three points.

Shi Qingxuan: I'm doing worse than the haunted baby?

Hua Cheng: You're doing worse than the haunted baby. But you will be taking home some points, in this case, two. And in last place, is whatever monstrosity Xie Lian created.

Xie Lian: *laughing and curling up on his seat*

-

He Xuan: You're going to set fire to it?

Feng Xin: Well, it said the lightest tower.

-

Hua Cheng: Join us next time to see a highly successful god take home some dirt cheap disco lights and a bop-it. FEEL THE ADRENALINE HIGH!

-

Hua Cheng: Not long until someone claims this finely crafted trophy. *Motions to trophy of his eyebrows*

He Xuan: Yes, Hua Cheng. I thought this was quite a silly show but it's got quite *motions to the trophy* eyebrow lately.

Hua Cheng: Why don't you shut your stupid mouth?

-

He Xuan: Is there anything you're looking for in particular?

Qi Rong: Not really. I'm trying to figure out how I could cheat.

-

Hua Cheng, to Xie Lian: I think you should start a cult or something. It's really compelling, every time you said "I've had a really good idea", I found myself going "yeah, he has".

-

Hua Cheng: Shi Wudu, please reveal your item.

He Xuan: It's a triangle.

Hua Cheng: Shi Qingxuan, please reveal your item.

Shi Qingxuan: What if I don't want to?

Hua Cheng: REVEAL IT!

Shi Qingxuan, pulling out a triangle: WUDU YOU RUINED MY DAY!

-

Pei Ming: The first two of those were... Lacking in deliberation.

Hua Cheng: I'm glad you confessed to your crimes early on because I was going to say "Pei Ming doesn't deserve to be punished because he's the only one firing in my direction" and as we were walking down, He Xuan said to me "he was firing at you on purpose".

[azure7539arts]

Do you ever think about how Li Susu was always supposed to be Tantai Jin's Hou Yi, the one to shoot him down? That everything was already set up all the way from their lives as Sang Jiu and Ming Ye?

Like, I'm pretty sure a lot of people have heard of the story of Hou Yi shooting down nine suns, leaving behind the singular remaining one in the sky. But there's a slightly different iteration to that tale.

According to Classic of Mountains and Seas (山海经), off in the Eastern Sea, there was a divine tree Fu Sang where ten three-legged crows perched. These crows were children of the Eastern Sky God, Di Jun, and every day, each one of them would take turn flying over the sky, and the light that shone from them represented the sun. One day, disobeying their father, all ten crows flew out to play, and their combined light scorched through the earth, leaving a catastrophe in their wake. In an attempt to punish them, Di Jun bestowed upon Hou Yi, known for his skills in archery, a red bow and white arrows so Hou Yi could go and teach his children a lesson. However, these crows refused to listen and dismissed Hou Yi's words, and in a fit of anger, Hou Yi drew his bow and shot down nine crows, sparing just the one that is the Sun everyone sees today.

So yeah.

The three-legged crow being Jing Kingdom's royal totem; Tantai Jin prominently using crows more so than anything else in the show; nine white soul-slaying arrows spikes anyone? :,)

Also, guess who had a red bow, and who else came from the East (Eastern Sea) and also used a bow as a gift?

Miscellaneous:

That last three-legged crow, in some instances, was later known as the Vermilion Bird (朱雀). According to some sources, in Classic of Mountains and Seas, the Vermilion Bird was also referred to as the Mysterious Bird/Black Bird (玄鸟), which is the name to one of the main theme songs of the show.

In the aftermath of that tale, upset by Hou Yi's action, Di Jun exiled both Hou Yi and his wife Heng'e (or Chang'e) from the Heavenly Realm to live as humans in the Mortal Realm. Heng'e is the Goddess of the Moon, and Tantai Jin is also associated with the moon. (Once again, I would like to repeat that Tantai Jin is literally Li Susu's wife.)

The name of divine tree Fu Sang (扶桑) shares the same 'Sang' as the one in Sang Jiu's name: 桑酒. Fu Sang is said to be a tree of life that grows somewhere in the Eastern Sea where the sun rises (flashbacks to Tantai Jin's developing love thread always being depicted as a tree growing out from under a seabed.)

Personal rambling:

It is said that, sometimes, the Phoenix and the Vermilion Bird are mistaken for one another because they both have red feathers and are engulfed in flames. There are also debates about which one of these mythical birds is the superior one, but going off on depictions in the show alone, the Phoenix once belonged in the original line up of the twelve Gods in Shangqing Realm, so the hierarchy is already set there. And idk, it's just another factor that ultimately serves the angle of "she's my better half" from Tantai Jin, because I don't doubt that this will always be his thought process when it comes to Li Susu.

Another thing about people sometimes mixing up the Phoenix and the Vermilion Bird is that it makes me think about the saying of how people in an intimate relationship will eventually start to resemble one another. And also how Tantai Jin did his best to mold the image of Cang Jiumin into what he thought would best fit what Susu must've had in mind for him when she'd switched his Evil Bone for her Immortal Marrow. Because while, yes, it was his own wish to become a better person for her, it was a decision that was deeply rooted in her own wish for him as well.

To that end, Tantai Jin is the mirror that reflects what Li Susu thinks about him. In her life as Ye Xiwu, Li Susu was never able to put down her prejudices against him and the trauma that she had had to go through because of him as the Devil God, so her thoughts about him tended to always go for the worst first and foremost whenever she thought he'd done something bad, and Tantai Jin reflected this. When they spent their time later on as Li Susu and Cang Jiumin together, no matter how short-lived this was, she finally was able to put genuine trust in him and his capacity for goodness, and so he reflected this as well. Like how moonlight is actually the Moon reflecting back the light it's receiving from the Sun, Tantai Jin was also able to burn so brightly toward the end because of Susu, you know? :,)

[the-monkey-ruler]

Back in Ming dynasty, were all characters given some kind of backstory or is that a JTTW thing?

If you mean all the characters in the novel then yes most of the gods and even several demons were already established in Buddhist lore and Chinese folklore long before the novel and they make more cameo appearances within the books. Not all the demons were created before the book but there are certainly inspiration from real mythos in their creation. I do a little backstory for the demons here if you wanna check it out.

As for the main five that is a bit more tricky. Sanzang of course if based on Xuanzang the real-life Tang Monk.

The earliest mentions of Sun Wukong are from The Story of How Tripitaka of the Great Tang Procures the Scriptures in late-13th-century CE so that would be right in the middle of the Ming Dynasty. But of course, you could consider how Wukong is inspired by both Hanuman who rose around the second millennium CE and Wuzhiqi whose tale is around the Tang and Song Dynasty. Different monkeys for sure but he is inspired by these legends in his final creation.

Bajie was really made in the Zaju play early Ming dynasty (14 to 15th-century) where he was shown to be a demon in a similar form and part of the group. However, I had read that his inspiration go as far back as the Jin Dynasty. They say his origin may lie with the story "猪臂金铃" by Gan Bao in Jin Dynasty. Or that he was inspired by He Bo Feng Yi, because the prototype of Feng Yi is a pig. Wu Zimu's "Meng Liang Lu" mentioned that "Tianpeng" was originally a Taoist fairy official. Some people also think that the prototype of Zhu Bajie comes from Indian Buddhist scriptures, as Chen Yinke said. There is a portrait of "Pig Head Bodhisattva" in the Thousand Buddha Caves in Kizil, Xinjiang, excavated in the early Tang Dynasty. He is called "Marizhitian" in Buddhist scriptures.

As for Wujing he was actaully written in Xuanzang's historical biography from the 7th-century as a complacent water spirit. He was an established character even before Bajie and Wukong but receives the least amount of attention sadly enough. Some scholars believe that he might have been inspired from the image of the deep sand god of Esoteric Buddhism from "The Poetry of the Tripitaka of the Tang Dynasty" as Shensha. Shensha God exists as an authentic Buddhist god however, in the scriptures translated by Zhu Tanwulan in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Shensha and Fuqiu existed as evil spirits, rather than Dharma protectors.

As for Bailong he was created for the novel itself but there is a long history of how heavenly horses and even dragons were before his creation. In the Zaju play Bailong was actually a Fire Dragon Horse. I have to thank @ryin-silverfish for this information that according to 西游故事跨文本研究 Bailong's origin could be traced to a tale about an actual horse in the aforementioned biography of Xuanzang. The unnamed skinny old horse was gifted to Xuanzang by an elderly foreign man, who was an experienced traveler of the western roads. Later, when Xuanzang had lost his way in the desert and was about to die of thirst, the horse took a different road of its own accord and saved the day by bringing him to an oasis. Because the said horse was red in color and why the Dragon Horse was often called a Fire Dragon Horse in later Baojuan and Zaju plays, and this was changed to white because of the keystone imagery in the legends of Buddhism's spread to China "white horse carrying the scriptures" (白马驮经).

Hope that helps!

[riwrite]

from @ghostlypath. hc + 🚶‍♂️ for a habit-themed headcanon (he xuan!)

maybe it's less habit, per se, and more just he xuan being truly himself, but even ~400 years later, he keeps habits of a dedicated scholar. he loses lots of time to reading and research, his being undead meaning he can lose days or even weeks at a time to it thanks to not needing sleep or food ( though it is usually hunger that breaks his concentration ). like, he nearly rivals hua cheng in knowledge despite being about half his age, it's just that the facts in his head are a lot more boring to most people ( seriously, he had to learn so much about infrastructure and construction to become the ' earth master ' and he still has to keep up with technological advances well enough to be a convincing expert. the knowledge he keeps can be even boring to him ).

while he's cold and aloof generally, it's also not uncommon knowledge among heavenly officials that ' ming yi ' is very diligent in his investigations, keeping records for himself in his palace, as well as lots of books and scrolls on whatever the earth master might find relevant or useful to have around.

he might pretend it's for the image he paints of himself as earth master, but that's only partially true. if he'd been able to ascend as he was supposed to, he'd have been a civil god of studiousness and dedication, and this shows in his habits even long after he's died.

[beehunni62]

Advisors Alliance Mini Encyclopedia Translation Post 19: Dogwood

The Advisors Alliance 大军师司马懿之军师联盟 is a 2017 two-part Chinese TV series depicting the life of Sima Yi, a government official and military strategist who lived during the late Eastern Han Dynasty 东汉 (25 CE - 220 CE) and the Three Kingdoms Period 三国時代 (220 CE - 280 CE). [Wikipedia of the show’s first season]

The second part is titled Growling Tiger Roaring Dragon 虎啸龙吟 and keeps following Sima Yi’s life as he matures and becomes wiser [Link to the show’s second season’s MyDramaList page].

The Weibo account [Link] of the show made a series of posts in the style of small encyclopedias explaining different historical and cultural facts that where included in the series. The user @moononmyfloor compiled the 50 posts and asked me to translate them. This will be an ongoing series where I will do just that. Although I tried to stay as close as possible to the original text, I had to take some liberties in some posts to get the meaning across better. On the side, I have included extra information from personal research that explains certain things better.

The posts are not in order of the episodes but I will provide the episode and season number to avoid confusion. If there are any mistakes in translation, do let me know in the comments or privately message me and I will do my best to fix them.

If it is difficult to read the letters, tap or click on the image to expand it. Without more preamble, here you go.

There’s a typo. I meant “Ming Dynasty” not “Mind Dynasty”.

Extra information:

Double Ninth Festival, also known as Double Yang Festival and Chongyang Festival, is a Chinese holiday celebrated on the ninth day of the ninth month in the traditional Chinese calendar. It’s called the Double Yang Festival 重阳节 [Trad. 重���節] because nine, in Chinese culture, was regarded to be a Yang number (6 was Yin). As such, the ninth day of the nine month was considered to have very strong Yang energy and, thus, was auspicious. People celebrated it by climbing high places such as mountains (from there the festival also came to be known as the Height Ascending Festival 登高节), drinking chrysanthemum wine, eating chrysanthemum cakes, appreciating chrysanthemum flowers, wearing dogwood branches on the hair, and visiting the graves of ancestors to leave food, drinks, and gifts. The tradition of climbing mountains likely came from the worship of mountains as ancient Chinese people climbed them to pray and receive blessings from the gods and/or ancestors. The Double Ninth Festival predates the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Like all other traditional Chinese holidays, poets wrote poems dedicated to celebrating the auspicious days. The fragment of the poem that is mentioned at the beginning of the post is one taught to children in China in elementary school. It’s by the Tang poet Wang Wei 王维 and it’s titled 《九月九日忆山东兄弟》 [Trad. 《九月九日憶山東兄弟》]. Below is the poem in both simplified and traditional Chinese. I will leave a translation made by American Poet Witter Bynner below.

Traditional:

獨在異鄉為異客，

每逢佳節倍思親。

遙知兄弟登高處，

遍插茱萸少一人。

Simplified:

独在异乡为异客，

每逢佳节倍思亲。

遥知兄弟登高处，

遍插茱萸少一人。

Translation (On the Mountain Holiday Thinking of my Brothers in Shandong)

All alone in a foreign land,

I am twice as homesick on this day.

When brothers carry dogwood up the mountain,

Each of them a branch -- and my branch missing.

The three sacrificial animals 三牲 changed depending on the dynasty. For instance, nowadays, people associate the three sacrificial animals with chicken, pork, and fish. However, in the time of the Western Zhou Dynasty, people referred to the three sacrificial animals as cow, sheep, and pig. Variations also include chicken, duck (or geese), and fish. Another variation involves five animals instead of three: chicken, duck, pork, fish, and squid. The purpose of animal sacrifice was to ask the gods and ancestors for protection and/or blessings.

Picture showcasing the five animal sacrifices 五牲 of chicken, pork, fish, duck, and squid [image source].

Catalogue (find the rest of the posts):

[veliseraptor]

top 5 favorite fucked up but somehow still soft character dynamics!!

ooooh this is a good one...let's see let's see

1. Xue Yang/Xiao Xingchen is definitely the first that comes to mind because it's part of what drives me insane about them! it's the fact that the violence is real, that everything Xue Yang feels about resenting Xiao Xingchen and wanting to bring him down to earth is real, and also the incredibly deep love is also real, an ugly thing that's the best version of it Xue Yang can manage. Xiao Xingchen is his victim. Xiao Xingchen is his lover. Both those things are true, simultaneously.

And not just for Xue Yang, either! For Xiao Xingchen, tormented by the break between a man who ruined his life (and, more importantly, Song Lan's) and the man who's been sharing his life and making it better when he thought he'd never find happiness again. He doesn't have time to really reckon with that - or, well, I think part of why he kills himself is because he can't - but in AUs where Xiao Xingchen survives but Xue Yang doesn't...I don't think Xiao Xingchen comes out of it in one piece. Particularly because if Xue Yang just accepts the two things living side-by-side, Xiao Xingchen wants to reconcile them, or figure out which one was the real thing, and can't figure out how.

2. Vegas/Pete. Once again! Relationships born in ugly violence and destruction that develop into something beautiful somehow anyways. Other people have written more cogently than me about themes of dehumanization/weaponization between these two, and the way they both take turns putting the other person in the position to be a weapon that they're made to be, and then breaking that down, breaking each other down. Pete goes on a very weird voyage of self-discovery over the safehouse arc and comes back irrevocably changed and awfully traumatized (:D), but Vegas also goes on a very weird and unexpected voyage of self-discovery of his own, and comes out of it with a crisis of identity that I think is part of what has him repeatedly making dangerous and potentially self-destructive or even suicidal choices. They both broke something open that revealed something neither of them really wanted to deal with, ever, but there they are and the issue's been forced.

and out of the wreckage of self-image and expectation, they're making something new. but the sweetness of that absolutely does not overwrite the origin and foundation of their relationship and also I don't think either of them is capable of a "normal" relationship with the other person, they're deeply obsessed and codependent and it's great.

3. Felix & Mildmay. They are a mess. Felix hurts Mildmay over and over and hates himself for it but can't figure out how to stop. Mildmay keeps coming back because he has no sense of his own worth as a human being and loves Felix too much to walk away, even if he could, which he couldn't, because he asked for a binding that would require obedience. And sure, he needed it for actual reasons, but I don't think we should underestimate the Thematic Relevance of that as a narrative decision. And yet! And yet!!! They love each other so much, so stupidly much, and over the course of the series stumble into figuring out a way to do it a little better. Them, man. Now I kind of want to go reread bits of the series but I know myself and that will just end up with me reading the back half of The Mirador, again, and crying.

4. Mo Ran/Chu Wanning. I feel like this one is a little bit of a cheat because the "fucked up" and the "soft" are sort of split across two timelines, but I think it counts. Certainly they've got both at varying points over the course of the book! And that's (part of) what makes it so tasty.

5. Trying to think of a fifth and weirdly coming up empty. I feel like there should be an obvious one here. Maybe Beefleaf, though it doesn't feel like exactly the right flavor, probably because even as Ming Yi I would not describe He Xuan as "soft." He's just not. I feel like I must be forgetting something and as soon as I hit post on this I will think of it.

OH actually thought of it as I was writing this post and it's funny because it's one that I feel like was severely underutilized to its fucked up potential in canon, which is Daemon & Lucivar from the Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop. Formative, unfortunately. There are like. Two scenes where the dynamic between them gets weirdly charged, and Anne Bishop gives you just a taste of the way that they simultaneously love and hate each other, are both each others' only comfort and also the people who can hurt each other the most. It's not quite the same as the other ones on this list but I'm going to say that's partly Anne Bishop's fault for passing up the latent potential in this dynamic and turning the fucked up dial at least a liiiiittle more.

[yimingpurelandacademycenter]

佛菩萨的像要供，并且要供标准的佛像，佛菩萨的形像在我们八识田里种下了种子，那我们生生世世只要见了佛像马上就会有信心，就会学正法，这也是保证我们不偏离正道。

We should make offerings to the images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and the images should be standard.

If we have planted the seed of the images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the field of our eighth consciousness, then, whenever we see a Buddha image in future lives, we will immediately generate faith and learn the Dharma. This also guarantees that we won't deviate from the right path.

——摘自《因果明镜论20》

From《The Mirror of Causality 20》

Contact us

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[greaterbayarea]

Through Reading, Dongguan Builds Bridges Connecting the World

Global Relay of 23 Cities Celebrates, "Fragrance of Books Dongguan · World Walk and Read+" Public Reading Festival Unfolds

Dongguan, April 23, 2024 — Today marks the 29th "World Book Day" and coincides with the National Public Library Service Promotion Week. The grand opening of the "Fragrance of Books Dongguan · World Walk and Read+" public reading festival was held at the 423-meter tall Min Ying·Guo Mao Center in Dongguan. This event, jointly hosted by the Municipal Party Committee Propaganda Department, the Municipal Culture, Radio, Film, Tourism and Sports Bureau, the Dongguan "Hundreds, Thousands, Millions Project" Command Office, and the Dongcheng Sub-district Office, simultaneously kicked off over 500 activities related to World Book Day, aiming to create an atmosphere of "universal sharing, full coverage, industry integration, and multi-media broadcasting."

This reading festival, themed "Fragrance of Books Dongguan · World Walk and Read+," uniquely featured the "4·23 City Reading Relay." This innovative "Advocacy + Walk and Read" format issued a heartfelt invitation to read to cities worldwide under the name of Dongguan. Special guests including Dongguan’s overseas Chinese, students studying abroad, employees of Dongguan-based enterprises overseas, and representatives from sister cities and partner cities, collaborated with partners from 23 cities around the globe to engage in synchronized reading activities, pushing the "Fragrance of Books Dongguan" brand onto a broader international stage.

Internationally, friendly cities like Baesa in Spain, Paksé in Laos, and Holon in Israel actively participated. By using reading as a common language, these cities bridged geographical and cultural divides, radiating positive energy through reading. Furthermore, cities such as Tumxuk in Xinjiang and Tongren in Guizhou, which Dongguan supports, also joined, showcasing Dongguan’s open and inclusive city image to the nation and the world.

Several renowned personalities with deep ties to Dongguan also participated in the event. Among them, Lun Zhiqing, a descendant of the famous book collector Lun Ming, issued a reading call from Beijing. Zhao Heng, daughter of the famed translator Yang Yi and contributor to "Easy Read," shared her connection with the bookish charm of Dongguan city. Chen Bei’er, a popular TV host from Hong Kong's TVB, energetically promoted the "Fragrance of Books Dongguan" brand. Chen Jiayi, a young violinist and representative of overseas students who won the 10th China Music Golden Bell Awards, played a beautiful melody on her violin in Austria, echoing the elegant chapter of "Fragrance of Books Dongguan." Other overseas Chinese such as Lee Yuh Ping, founding chairman of the Chinese Librarians Association Asia-Pacific Branch in Singapore, and Zhong Yayi in Fiji, supported and promoted the "Fragrance of Books Dongguan" brand through their actions and words. Employees of Kuaiyi Elevator in Dubai showcased the strength and cultural charm of Dongguan manufacturing through their reading and sharing activities.

Distinguished guests such as Wang Weihua, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and director of the Songshan Lake Materials Lab, and Zhao Gansen, a National May 1st Labor Medalist and well-known professor at South China Normal University's School of Computer Science, among others, cheered on the "World Book Day" event series. The launch ceremony was graced by Wang Yuguang, professor and doctoral supervisor from the Department of Information Management at Peking University, and Liu Zhimeng, a European Academy of Natural Sciences academician and professor at Dongguan University of Technology, who shared their reading insights with attendees, affirming the efforts of Dongguan in recent years in building the "Fragrance of Books Dongguan" brand.

Through such events, Dongguan not only demonstrates its cultural openness and inclusiveness to the world but also communicates the positive message of promoting cultural exchange and knowledge sharing through reading. Dongguan’s efforts and achievements undoubtedly set a new standard for global cultural exchange, showcasing the city’s growing significance on the global cultural map.

[automaticvr]

單頻道錄像互動裝置、Google cardboard／03’19”／2022-2023 2023 北藝大美術學系碩士班：2023春季開放工作室，國立臺北藝術大學，臺北，臺灣 「雙頻道（double-channel）」在描述錄像裝置時是作為一個形容詞，已經不以複數型（double channels）的狀態存在。 手機中播放著一雙眼睛的影像，並邀請觀者進一步以簡易VR眼鏡觀賞。然而當使用VR眼鏡再度觀看手機時，看到的「一隻眼睛」，並不是現實中任一眼的360度影像，而是一隻由錯視造成、左右兩眼交疊而成的全新眼睛；而當看著這隻眼睛，其中倒映出的視野，也提供了觀者虛擬的鏡像。 我希望藉此提供一種分裂又合成的感知經驗，模糊對稱與複製、單數與複數間的相對關係。 ｜特別感謝｜ 3D模型掃描 吳奕蓁 3D模型修模 羅芷婕 3D列印協助 吳奕蓁 展期協力 施力嘉 徐銘謙 朱韻蓉 Single-channel video interactive installation, Google Cardboard/03'19"/2022-2023 2023 TNUA Master of Fine Arts: 2023 Open Studio, TNUA, Taipei, Taiwan "Double-channel" is used as an adjective to describe video installations, and does not exist in the plural form ("double channels"). The video displayed on the mobile phone shows a pair of eyes, and invites viewers to watch it further using simple VR glasses. However, when watching the screen again through VR glasses, what appears as "one eye" is not a 360-degree image of any single eye in reality, but a completely new eye formed by an optical illusion created by overlapping the left and right eyes. The reflected view within this eye also provides a virtual mirror for the viewer. The artist aims to offer a perception experience that is both split and synthetic, blurring the relative relationship between symmetry and duplication, singular and plural. ｜Special Thanks｜ 3D model scanning WU Yi-Jhen 3D model repairing LO Chih-Chieh Assistance with 3D printing WU Yi-Jhen Exhibition support SHIH Li-Jia, XU Ming-Qian, CHU Yun-Rung

[newmic]

the number 8 (continued)

The symbolism of the number 8: what interpretation to give it? What does the 8 correspond to on the spiritual, religious or esoteric level? What meaning should be given to the eight (anagogy)?

The number 8 is directly related to the number 4: it is concrete rather than abstract in nature.

As a reminder, the 4 evokes the square, the Earth, the manifested world, revealed in all its perfection and balance.

The number 8 is the double of 4:

it evokes the 8 vertices of the cube, image of the material deployed in all its volume, the 8 is 2 cubed: the duality that flourishes in the three-dimensional, the 8 is the 4 cardinal directions completed by the 4 intermediate directions to form the compass rose: number 8 compass rose symbolism the suite 1, 2, 4, 8, 16… evokes duplication, cell division and life, 8 and 64 are also reminiscent of the chess board: 2 basic colors, 8 side squares, 64 squares in all. In the end, the symbolism of the number 8 is above all that of space and matter.

He is the image of the multiple and of the totality: he represents the entire cosmos. The 8 does not create itself but contains all that has been created.

It also evokes balance, justice and perfection: it is the organized universe, ordered according to God's plan.

In musicology, the number 8 recalls the octave, i.e. the perfect interval which separates two notes of the same name.

The symbolism of the number 8 in different religions and civilizations. We find the number 8 in many traditions:

Among the Celts (and the Gauls in particular), the wheel was a wheel most often equipped with 8 spokes corresponding to the eight solar festivals of the year. In Athens, the remarkable Tower of the Winds is an octagonal hydraulic clock, each of whose 8 faces is dedicated to a God of the wind; it is completed with a sundial. This ancient monument therefore combines the symbolism of space, time and cycles. In the Chinese tradition, the Yi Jing (Classic of changes) is a very old work of divination which includes 8 figures declined in 64 states of the world and as many possibilities of transformation; it is based on the principle of yin and yang duality. In imperial China, the Ming Tang is the representation of the world in miniature: the residence of the emperor is in the center, and 8 pillars (symbolizing the 8 provinces) support it. In Buddhism, the wheel of dharma (wheel of law or teaching) is a chariot wheel with 8 spokes; it symbolizes in particular the Noble Eightfold Path which leads to the cessation of suffering and to nirvana. In Shintoism, Amaterasu, goddess of the sun, comes out of her cave attracted by the reflection of her image in an 8-sided mirror. The number 8, in Shintoism, is synonymous with multiplicity. In Hinduism, 8 is a divine and central number. Vishnu, god of the stability of the world, is often represented with 8 arms. In Christianity, the number 8 can evoke: the new day, the first of a new week, new or eternal life (note that many baptisteries have an octagonal shape, like the one in Florence), the opening of a new plane: the 8 is the symbol of the final resurrection, the prefiguration of the cosmic Christ, the heavenly Jerusalem, which is cubic in shape (Revelation 21:16), the New Testament, while the Old Testament is associated with the number 7, or the 8 beatitudes. In Islam, the number 8 refers to the 8 gates of paradise or to the Kaaba: a cube symbolizing the sacred house of God around which pilgrims turn. Among the Egyptians and the followers of Gnosticism, the ogdoad is a group of eight deities or eight primordial celestial spheres. Among the Quechuas, there are 8 primordial ancestors. celtic wheel symbolism Celtic wheel

yi jing number 8 Chinese Yi Jing

wheel of dharma

Roue celtique

Yi Jing chinois

see more : https://www.jepense.org/symbolisme-chiffre-8-interpretation/#Le%20Symbolisme%20Du%20Chiffre%208%20Dans%20Les%20diff%C3%A9rentes%20Religions%20et%20Civilisations.

it's in French, have the entire site translated (per page), you will find the translator in your browser's extensions

[crowning-art]

In which the beefleaf arc broke me to pieces and the only way to cope was to draw it out T-T