OLYMPICS /
Cultural Olympics
The Worship of the Chinese Phoenix
Chinaculture.org
Updated: 2008-08-09 13:35
Phoenix is the king of birds and belongs to Fire in Five Elements. It is the spirit of fire. The soaring phoenix with graceful bearing and dignified air is the totem of fire. The legend "phoenix nirvana and rebirth out of ash" also symbolizes man's constant striving spirit.
Down the ages, "Loong" (Chinese dragon) and "Phoenix" are the traditional totems embedded with people's blessing and hope. Phoenix has left a deep imprint in Chinese civilization. The auspice and hope represented by it has always been a part of people's daily life.
The phoenix represented power sent from the heavens to the Empress. If a phoenix was used to decorate a house it symbolized that loyalty and honesty were in the people that lived there.
The phoenix joins the great Olympiad, bringing the hope of luck and peace to the world, representing the core connotation of the torch relay graphic.