The Significance of Butterflies in Chinese Culture

By Kevin Bucknall, Bsc(Econ), PhD 1. The butterfly as decoration: butterflies are pretty and are much used in Chinese art Kites were almost certainly invented in China, perhaps two and half thousand years ago and are still a popular part of the culture. The butterfly kite is often seen. The city of Weifang in Shandong Province is famous for its kite museum; its annual kite competition; and making some of the best kites around. Kites are often flown as part of the Tomb Sweeping Day Festival called the Qingming Festival. This is an annual holiday when many Chinese tend and clean up their ancestors graves. Other than kites, many objects may feature butterflies, for example vases, painting, teapots, bowls, and wallpaper. 2. The story of The Butterfly Lovers This is a folk tale extremely well-known in China - most people learn it as children Briefly, the story is about an intelligent young girl, Zhu Yingtai, who wants an education but has to disguise herself as a boy in order to be allowed to go to school. At that time in China girls were not permitted to do this. There she meets a boy, Liang Shanbo, and they become inseparable (male) friends. She gradually falls in love with him, but dare not reveal that she is really a girl. So she tells Liang that she has a younger sister at home whom he might like and should meet. She returns home, a long way off, to await his arrival. Liang eventually turns up and then understands that his best friend is really a girl. They realise that they love each other and wish to get married. Unfortunately her father forbids it and has already betrothed her to a rich man. The boy dies heartbroken. On her way to her unwanted wedding she passes Liangs grave and wishes to join him in death. A flash of lighting opens the grave, she jumps in, and dies. Two butterflies then emerge and dance together in the sunshine: the couple are united forever. The similarities to some Shakespeare plays five of which have girls dressed as boys are clear. The idea of the plot is similar to Romeo and Juliet and in fact The Butterfly Lovers is often called Chinas Romeo and Juliet. It is a famous story in the culture: so much so that there are several operas based on it, including Beijing, Sichuan and Xaoxing varieties. There are several films; about three different television series, a balletand even a violin concerto. The BBC has done a nice animated version of the story in English at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/the-butterfly-lovers-english/6118.html This last for less than six minutes. 3. Two flying butterflies suggest young lovers The idea of a pair of butterflies representing young lovers almost certainly comes from the story of the Butterfly lovers. Seeing two butterflies like this immediately reminds many Chinese people of the story and its sad message. 4. Butterflies and regeneration Caterpillars, as we know, are the first stage of the butterfly cycle: first a caterpillar that spins itself into a cocoon in order to become a chrysalis, from which it later emerges as a beautiful butterfly. The symbolism of regeneration and rebirth is clear.

As early as the Sixth Century BC the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu made an interesting point about how a caterpillar envisages the major change that is about to overtake it: "What the caterpillar calls the end, the rest of the world calls a butterfly." 5. A Butterflies and Daoism One of the early creators of Chinese Daoisma philosophy, belief system ,or religion was Zhuang Zi which means Master Zhuang. In the culture it is considered polite to honour people who achieve, for instance,an engineer called Li would normally be addressed as Engineer Li rather than plain Mister Li. The philosophers real name was Zhuang Zhou. The Dao of Daoism means The Way,The Road or The Path. In part this carries the idea of the journey through life, with constant change but without a concept of good or bad; it is a sort of process to a destiny. Zhuang Zi felt that it cannot be described or explained clearly; it can be felt or experienced; he believed the Dao was everywhere and in everythingnot unlike the beliefs of Buddhism that came much later. The Dao just is. He himself was something of a mystic, not easy to interpret unambiguously, and he cared not for worldly things. He dressed simply and it must be admitted rather badly - and he turned down a good career in government. The following widely known statement by him is from the Encyclopaedia Britannica: Once I, ZhungZhu dreamed that I was a butterfly and was happy as a butterfly.... I was conscious that I was quite pleased with myself, but I did not know that I was Zhou.... Suddenly I awoke, and there I was, visibly Zhou. I do not know whether it was Zhou dreaming that he was a butterfly or the butterfly dreaming that it was Zhou. Between Zhou and the butterfly there must be some distinction. This is called the transformation of things. So thats it! Butterflies are not only pretty, they play an important role in Chinese culture. ==== This document is based upon the script of a video The Significance of Butterflies in Chinese Culture which contains many photographs and images that illustrate the points being made. You can watch this on the website www.keweipress.com It lasts just over eight minutes; it is certainly prettier than this document. You will also find four videos about Japanese culture on that site and a few free books and articles.