Home›Sources›A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols: Hidden Symbols in Chinese Life and ThoughtSourcesA Dictionary of Chinese Symbols: Hidden Symbols in Chinese Life and ThoughtCitation FormatsGeneral ReferenceGeneral Reference Citation TextDivinity Atlas. "A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols: Hidden Symbols in Chinese Life and Thought." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://divinity.interactivelion.com/sources/a-dictionary-of-chinese-symbols-hidden-symbols-in-chinese-life-and-thought.Copy General ReferenceAPA StyleAPA Style Citation TextDivinity Atlas. (n.d.). A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols: Hidden Symbols in Chinese Life and Thought. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://divinity.interactivelion.com/sources/a-dictionary-of-chinese-symbols-hidden-symbols-in-chinese-life-and-thoughtCopy APA StyleBibTeXBibTeX Citation Text@misc{divinityatlas-a-dictionary-of-chinese-symbols-hidden-s, author = {Divinity Atlas}, title = {A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols: Hidden Symbols in Chinese Life and Thought}, year = {2026}, url = {https://divinity.interactivelion.com/sources/a-dictionary-of-chinese-symbols-hidden-symbols-in-chinese-life-and-thought}, note = {Accessed August 30, 2026} }Copy BibTeXWolfram Eberhard's dictionary works through Chinese symbolic animals and motifs one entry at a time, drawing on the folklore, literary and visual record for each symbol rather than a single unifying theory of Chinese symbolism applied across the whole tradition. This atlas uses it narrowly for the specific symbolic associations its entries document. This record has not independently traced a documented history of scholarly disagreement with any individual entry, and it has not checked every entry against a second independent reference. Use it for the traditional meaning of a specific Chinese symbolic motif; it is a reference of individual entries rather than a connected historical argument.FactsClaims Backed By This Source (270 claims)Comments (0)Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)FactsCitationAuthorWell-attestedWolfram EberhardPublisherWell-attestedRoutledgePublication YearWell-attested1986URLWell-attestedhttps://archive.org/details/dictionaryofchin00wolfSource TypeWell-attestedreferenceAssessmentReliability TierWell-attested2Wolfram Eberhard's dictionary working through Chinese symbolic animals and motifs one entry at a time, drawing on the folklore, literary and visual record for each symbol rather than a single unifying theory of Chinese symbolism applied across the whole tradition.NotesWell-attestedAdded wave8: reference on Chinese symbolic animals and motifsClaims Backed By This Source (270 claims)This source backs 270 claims across the atlas. As facts: 153 well-attested, 1 partially Attested. As cited relationships: 31 holds. Plus 85 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.Disposition By TopicChinese Animals, 53 claims: 29 well-attested, 12 holds, 12 general references.Deities, 51 claims: 22 well-attested, 5 holds, 24 general references.Animals & Totems, 44 claims: 23 well-attested, 7 holds, 14 general references.Directions, 37 claims: 28 well-attested, 9 general references.Articles, 29 claims: 28 well-attested, 1 partially Attested.Numbers, 13 claims: 5 well-attested, 8 general references.Colors, 11 claims: 4 well-attested, 3 holds, 4 general references.Plants, 11 claims: 3 well-attested, 1 holds, 7 general references.Sources, 8 claims: 8 well-attested.Mythical Creatures, 7 claims: 1 well-attested, 3 holds, 3 general references.Constellations, 2 claims: 1 well-attested, 1 general references.Numerology Systems, 2 claims: 1 well-attested, 1 general references.Planets, 1 claims: 1 general references.Sacred Architecture, 1 claims: 1 general references.Well-attested153Animals & TotemsFoxGoatHorseMonkeyRabbitRatRoosterSeahorseThe CarpThe ToadTigerTurtleArticlesGentleness as a Sign QualityLong Life in the East, Death in the WestPeach-Blossom Luck, and the Demon-Quelling WoodShedding, Renewal and the Almanac ReadingThe Blossom of ImmortalityThe Centre as a DirectionThe Dog and the Eleventh Earthly BranchThe Dragon and the Fifth Earthly BranchThe Evergreen of SteadfastnessThe Fragrance of the Noble MindThe Goat and the Eighth Earthly BranchThe Horse and the Seventh Earthly BranchThe Imperial Flower of the EastThe King of FlowersThe Ox and the Second Earthly BranchThe Pig and the Twelfth Earthly BranchThe Rooster and the Tenth Earthly BranchThe Tiger and the Third Earthly BranchWhere 112.5 Degrees Falls on the LuopanWhere 157.5 Degrees Falls on the LuopanWhere 202.5 Degrees Falls on the LuopanWhere 22.5 Degrees Falls on the LuopanWhere 247.5 Degrees Falls on the LuopanWhere 292.5 Degrees Falls on the LuopanWhere 337.5 Degrees Falls on the LuopanWhere 67.5 Degrees Falls on the LuopanWordplay and Auspicious ImagesZiwei: The Tree of the Imperial SecretariatChinese AnimalsDogDragonGoatHorseMonkeyOxPigRabbitRatRoosterShowing 1 to 50 of 84 entities carrying this claim. NextPartially Attested1ArticlesShell, Longevity, and the Turtles All the Way DownHolds31Animals & TotemsThe CarpThe ToadChinese AnimalsDogDragonGoatHorseMonkeyOxPigRabbitRatRoosterSnakeTigerColorsBlue-GreenRedWhiteDeitiesLei GongNezhaTai SuiTaibai JinxingZhong KuiMythical CreaturesQilinPlantsPeach BlossomGeneral References85Animals & TotemsFoxFrogGoatHorseMonkeyPigRabbitRatRoosterSeahorseThe CarpThe ToadTigerTurtleChinese AnimalsDogDragonGoatHorseMonkeyOxPigRabbitRatRoosterSnakeTigerColorsBlackBlue-GreenRedWhiteConstellationsMilky WayDeitiesCaishenCao GuojiuChang eDragon KingErlang ShenFuxiGuan YuHan XiangziHe XianguKitchen GodLan CaiheLei GongLi TieguaiLü DongbinMazuNezhaQueen Mother of the WestShennongTai SuiShowing 1 to 50 of 84 entities carrying this claim. NextComments (0)No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.Sign in to join the discussion.Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.View At A Past YearThe atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.Show This Year