Brian L. Kennedy Posted March 30, 2008 (edited) In the new issue of Kung Fu Tai Chi magazine my wife and I did a piece on various Daoist creatures and gods that are connected with martial arts. One of the creatures we talked about was the defender of righteousness; the Qilin. Here is one of the photos I took over at Dragon Mountain Temple of a Qilin. This picture was one that was used in the article. Â During the Ming dynasty the Qilin became identified with the real life giraffe. Ming explorer Zheng He brought a set of giraffes back from East Africa to Beijing and these novel creatures were called Qilin. The mythical Qilin are usually depicted with fire all over its body. This is said to reflect their power and their abundant qi energy. The fire often appears as a ring of fire which surrounds their heads. And if you are a Japanese beer fan, you have seen the Qilin on every can of Kirin brand beer you ever drank. Kirin is the Japanese word for Qilin. Â Respect and thanks to Gene Ching for running the pieces my wife and I do on the wider Daoist cultural aspects of Chinese martial arts. And we hope folks find the pieces of interest. Â Take care, Brian Edited April 4, 2008 by Brian L. Kennedy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wun Yuen Gong Posted March 30, 2008 Is Qilin the Kei Lun (Unicorn) you mean? Â I teach Unicorn, lion and dragon dancing and know a Kei Lun Unicorn kung fu teacher. Its Hakka related similar to Bak Mei (white eyebrow). Â WYG Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gendao Posted March 30, 2008 Very cool, I have a Qilin tattoo. I have heard that it was the mythical guardian of the East Gate of China. But would love to hear what else you learnt about it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
