龙凤呈祥

The dragon and the phoenix are the largest legendary animals in Chinese folklore. As the head of all living creatures, the dragon stands for authority and dignity and represents male supremacy. As the senior of all birds, the phoenix stands for beauty and love and represents female supremacy. Marriage is often described as an event of happy and fortunate combination of the dragon with the phoenix, a metaphor of sincere wishes for a good life. Ming dynasty records tell about the nine sons of the dragon: all had different capabilities. Images of the nine creatures are frequently used in architecture or utensils. All nine were born with extraordinary skills and each later fulfilled significant achievements.